Their Eyes
by St. Meyer
Summary: This is an idea that I came up with while reading Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series. I was very influenced by her setting, characters, and over all plot and decided to just tweak some minor things and mary sue all of my friends to play out my fantasies.
1. New Beginning

**o1. New Beginning**

**A new town, a new home, a new school, and a new life, nothing a teenager would ever want. **

**My parents wanted a change of scenery. So we moved from our warm, sunny home in Florida, to dreary wet Tacoma, Washington. **

**Our new home, in this moist city, was in the northeastern part of it. And across the bay and the Tide flats, which was the Port of Tacoma, the largest port on the west coast, was my new school, Stadium High.**

**My dad and I drove by the school the Sunday before I was to start there. It was a huge building, with six stories, and it very well looked like a real castle. Its brown brick walls were topped brass steeples that were greened with age, and they towered overhead. The school's fine art's building was separated from this majestic main building, but was just a short walk across the courtyard from the main building. In addition, a large tiled "S" sat in the middle of the courtyard, adding that final touch**_**.**_

"**Fancy school, huh, Darby?" my dad asked.**

**I gave a stunned nod in response, as I looked the school up and down and back and forth.**

**There was a long staircase next to the left end of the school that led down to a turn-about. Walking down the staircase, I saw that there were a few doors on either side that went into the basements of the two buildings. Next to the separated building, across a little street that came down to the roundabout was a three story parking garage. I guessed that no one needed to worry about parking here.**

**I peered over a large black fence that stuck out from the school wall and connected to the parking garage. It was a large ravine that had been made into the school's football field. A long concrete staircase led to long concrete bleachers. And yet another "S" was on the field, bright yellow against the green turf. Past the field, I could see the bay. Though the day was cloudy and wet, it did look rather lovely, and the salty smell of the bay waffled through the air and clung to everything around us.**

**A new school and a new life. I was set and ready for it, knowing the place was half the battle right? I was ready, or at least that is what I thought.**

**The next morning, I was exhausted. The time change had taken a great toll on me, because part of the country was hours behind my beloved Florida. It was tiring to stay awake to their ten o'clock and then stay asleep until their six o'clock. My sleep pattern had been completely flipped around.**

**When I awoke, the first thing I did was look out my window, like I normally did back home. As I looked outside there was a horror standing there that I had never seen before in my life: **_**FOG.**_** I was shocked. A thick wall of deep grey fog hovered menacingly outside of my window. I thought the rumors of constant fog and rain in this part of the country were there just to keep tourists out. However, here I was staring the myth in the face.**

**Walking into my new bathroom, I turned on the bright yellow light. I caught my reflection in the small oval mirror that hung over the porcelain sink. My pale blue eyes stared back at me as I pushed my even more pale blond hair behind my ears. I turned on the cold water and splashed my face a few times. A nervous sigh leaving my lips as I looked back up to the mirror. The dark circles under my eyes seemed to just get bigger as I stared at the person in the glass. **

"**A new life Darby… oh joy," I mumbled to myself, sarcasm never meaning more than it did then.**

**My breakfast was small, I didn't want my nervousness to get my stomach upset to the point that I would puke. I grabbed my new raincoat and my book bag, and sat on the couch upstairs to wait for my father, who had promised me that he would drive me on my first day. **

**I was so glad and thanked my dad several times, as we walked out into the damp morning air. The school bus would have been horrible for me, since it was very unlikely that I would know anyone. Moreover, the car itself was a great relief from the moisture outside. As I slumped into the car seat, I sighed happily and turned up the heat even before the care itself was turned on..**

**My dad chuckled as he turned the key in the ignition. "To cold for you sweetie?"**

"**Way too cold," I replied, rubbing my arms and pretending to shiver.**

"**So you ready for your new school?" he asked, a touch of concern in his voice.**

"**Ready as I'll ever be." I tried to force a smile, but knew better than to try that around my dad.**

**My dad knew me well; he had always been there for me, even for the frightening woman "problems." He was more of a mother than my actual mother was. The old man was the closest male I had ever known, except a few cousins back home, but he was like my best friend.**

**As my dad's car pulled up next to the curb, it started to rain outside. I moaned as I stepped out of the car. Pulling up my hood, I turned and waved goodbye to my dad and shut the door. From there I walked across slightly flooded courtyard to the main door of the "castle." As I walked it, yet another tiled "S" was on the floor in front of me. The hallway made a "T" shape, as it turned both right and left. The office then stood in front of me at the head of the hall. The hallway held dozens of student who had come in out of the rain. **_**So I'm not the only one who hates the cold wet.**_

**I received my schedule from a little Asian-looking woman that stood behind the overly tall front desk, and left the empty office to walked briskly down a hallway to try and find room numbers. I figured out that the rooms were numbered in a certain pattern, odd classes to my right and evens to my left; so now classes shouldn't be that hard to find. I looked at my schedule; my band class was first period, which wasn't even in this building. I dreaded the thought of leaving this warm, dry place, to head across the courtyard, **_**again**_**, to get to the other building. At the end of the hall, his the towers of stairs, a set of double doors led out into the court yard.**

**With a deep breath, I opened a door and dashed out. A few students were standing in the rain. Apparently, they did not care about the clamminess. Stepping into the second building, I gasped in relief. This building was much more modern that the main building, and didn't have any basic class rooms. The gym was to my right, the small theater was to my left, and there was a staircase in front of me, and it led down to the basement where the music rooms were. The band, choir, and orchestra rooms were through a long passage that led into what seemed like the bowels of this building.**

**When I got into the band room I was happy in what I saw. The band room was fairly large, and I saw several students with their instruments cases, but here I was without any instrument. **_**I should have brought my oboe, I knew I was going to have band here.**_** I stood near the door and scanned the students in search of the teacher, though something caught my eye before I found him.**

**Well I should say two **_**people**_** caught my eye. In the back of the room, leaning against the instrument lockers, stood two very interesting looking women. One was about my height of about five and a half feet, while the other stood a bit taller. The shorter of the two had a dark complexion, as if she was of African descent. She was slightly athletic in build, and her hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail with her bangs tucked behind her ears. The taller one had pale white skin and long curly dark red, almost purple, hair that reached past her lower back. They both looked like they were in their early twenties, so the fact that I noticed a tattoo on the red head's right arm didn't really bother me. **_**Maybe they're student teachers**_**, I thought. **

**As I continued to stare stupidly at them, I noticed something interesting: they were both absolutely gorgeous. Each facial feature was perfect; every curve of their body was perfect. Though, in the end, my stupid staring got me attention.**

**They both soon noticed that I was looking at them, and stared back at me. I tried to turn my face away, but their eyes caught my own and what were with those **_**EYES?!**_

The darker girl's eyes, you would expect them to be dark brown, but they were not, her irises were white, with the darkest black of pupils. The redhead's eyes were almost as terrifying. A dark rich green, with a silver gloss enveloped huge black pupils.

I felt drawn to them, yet repelled at the same time. I couldn't lower my gaze and neither of them would either. They stood like statues, keeping me stuck on them, terrified yet quite the opposite as well.

Then there was light tap on my shoulder and I turned with a jerk. There next to me, stood the person who I assumed to be the teacher. He was young looking, and must have been in his early thirties, late twenties and had short cropped hair and a Go-tee.

"You the new kid?" he asked in a playful tone.

"Um, yeah." I replied sheepishly looking up at him.

"Good, what do you play then?" He moved his hands, as to represent clarinet or other instrument in them.

"Oboe," I stated simply.

He raised his eyebrows and nodded. "Oboe! Very cool!" He said happily. "Well I'm Mr. Mulkins, but just call me Mulkins or Mulk, I don't like the formal stuff." He shook my hand and told me to follow him.

He gave me a folder, in his office, with the music they had been working on, and told me to sit in the back of the class today since I didn't have my instrument. As class hadn't started yet, I went and stood awkwardly near the front of the class. Mulkins went about talking to his more well-known students, leaving me alone again. I briefly looked at the music in my hands, but my gaze was soon drawn back to the bizarre girls.

They weren't looking at me anymore, though I felt their gaze lock on me when I had spoke with the teacher. Instead, they seemed to have their concentration on somewhere else. I shrugged it off, until I saw what they were staring at. A tall dark toned boy had entered the room. He strode over to the girls with amazing grace and speed. His tall muscular figure loomed over the girls as he wrapped his arms around the red head's waist.

Like the girls, he was beautiful. He had dark skin, an almost olive color, but darker still, almost like the white eyed girl. He a small silver hoops hung in each ear and a tattoo of blue flames crawling up his right arm, but another astonishing thing about him, where _his_ eyes. Like the girls', they were a strange color. His eyes were a bright blue, and they stood out so sharply from his dark face.

The girl he was holding, gripped at the back of his shirt, as she pulled herself up to kiss him. She then whispered something in his pierced ear. The boy then turned and stared directly at me, his icy blue eyes burning a hole through me, as if I had done a horrible crime. I sucked in a breath and pulled my eyes away finally, and looked at the harmless ground. After a few breathes the fist bell of the day rang, and I moaned lightly in bitter happiness.

I sat in the back of the class and watched students hurry in and out of the classroom, as well as grabbing instrument cases and getting them set up. The little group of three had split up, as the girl with white eyes pulled out a French horn from its case, the green-eyed girl grabbed a bass clarinet, but the most shocking was when the guy pulled out a flute and put it together. They sat in their sections, paying attention to neither each other nor me. I sighed, relieved.

I watched as the class went through their music, warming up and then playing their pieces. They played rather well, I had heard that this school had the best band on this side of the country, and they lived up to that name. When class was nearly over, Mulkins released the class to put their instruments away.

The trio had gotten back together next to the band lockers. The couple had their arms fully around each other's hips, and their hands were in the other's back pockets, and the two of them kissing. The bell rang shortly after instruments were put away, and I raced out of the room at a fast walk, not wanting to catch the eyes of the odd three again.

My next class was Health. When I walked into the room, I introduced myself to the teacher and she assigned me to a seat. As I sat down, other kids filed into the room, talking and taking their seats. Loud voices and noises came in from the hallway, and I realized how _large_ this school actually was. I heard from my dad that there was a two-thousand plus students here. I was amazed at that number, but I had come from a large school, so I was used to it, but walking through the halls and court yard you could defiantly tell this school was over crowed

I bent over to pull my new binder out of my book bag, and as I started to lean back up, I froze. There, just walking into the class was the red-haired girl from band. She walked past me quickly, and as she sat down she slightly glanced at me. Her silvery green eyes seemed to cut through the air, and focus directly on me.

She soon, though, turned her gaze over to the door and smiled - her teeth perfect like the rest of her. She stood up and walked a few feet toward the door to greet what looked like another girl, the person's hair being so long. However, I soon saw the rather boob-less flat chest and realized it was a boy.

It was a very tall boy; he stood well over half a foot taller than the girl did. He had long dark brown hair that reached past his waist, and it had streaks of silver and grey within it. He had on a very long trench coat that covered his whole body. And as well as the girl – the main reason I thought he was a female – he was beautiful. Perfect features, with pale skin looked so smooth on his face, almost like glass.

He seemed to notice my staring and at that moment, I made the biggest mistake of that day. In the instant that he turned to me, I screamed. His eyes, just like the girl's and the others', were a very strange color, they were a _wrong_ color. They were red! A bright red that glowed from the inside of his sockets, and pitch-black pupils that seemed to suck back in the very same red light the eyes created.

The moment that I had screamed, the whole class had looked at me, but I barely noticed them. My attention was completely focused on the boy's eyes. He kept his gaze with mine; never even blinking for what seemed like forever, but then the sudden ringing of the bell pulled me away from him_._

As I quickly turned away from the boy's gaze, I secretly told myself to thank the person who rang the bells every day. I turned to a tap on my shoulder, a thin blond girl asked me if I was all right and needed help. I said I was fine and that everything was all right. I looked back to where the boy had been, but he was gone and the green-eyed girl was now back and sitting at her desk again.

The class went by quickly, as the teacher went over heart related issues; and I soon found myself walking to my third period in a fast fury. I kept my face turned down to keep from looking at anyone else's.

My next class was Japanese, and on the fourth floor too. My legs were completely worn out and stiff jointed as I stumbled into the classroom, right as the five minute warning bell rang. Why I was taking Japanese I didn't know, it looked interesting when I signed up for classes and might help since Japan was only just across the Pacific ocean. I went through the same process with my Japanese teacher as I did with Health teacher. I sat in my new seat as the class stirred with immature life. Letting yet another sigh of relief leave my mouth, I closed my eyes and waited for the last bell to ring.

However, my short vacation to the privacy of my mind was cut short as I felt the presence of someone next to me. I opened my eyes to meet a pair of huge bright yellow ones. My face flushed as the yellow eyes scrutinized me, I felt the need to run from these eyes; like the fight or flight instinct, and only I wanted flight.

"You're new here aren't you?" I heard a voice from off to my side. I turned to see where the voice was coming from, and looking around I found its owner, an extremely tall girl. She had to be around six and a half to seven feet tall; and was very thin, almost boneythin, but she still had a good amount of muscle on her. She had long silvery brown hair that fell to her back, but like before, what caught my attention the most were her eyes. They were a bright livid green and seemed to glow with sunlight from the inside. She gave me a questioning look, and I snapped back from the mossy greenness of her eyes.

"Um… yes, I just moved here," I replied feeling a bit dazed.

She smiled lightly at me and turned to her friend, whose large yellow eyes were still looking me over thoroughly.

Now I took notice of the yellow eyes' owner. She was a thin girl, built almost like a runway model. Her dark brown hair was pulled back in a loose braid at the nape of her neck and fell slightly over her shoulder.

"Stop staring!" The green-eyed girl snapped, as she smacked the yellow-eyed girl's arm. "What would Chase think if he caught you being so rude?!"

"Ah, but you forget, I don't care what he thinks," the yellow-eyed one responded, with a smirk.

The green-eyed girl rolled her mossy eyes then looked back down at me. "I'm sorry for her rudeness, she really can't help it." She said the last part while glaring at her friend.

I gave a faint nod back to her.

"Well I'm Kaitlyn but call me Katy, and my _charming_ friend here is Natalia," she continued.

"Tally!" the yellow-eyed girl yelped.

"Tally, yes that's her 'nick-name'."

I nodded, made enough sense I guess.

"What's yours then?" Kaitlyn asked looking down at me from her high altitude.

"Darby, I'm Darby," I muttered.

"Darby eh? You don't look like a Darby to me."

I smirked, "Everyone says that." And they did.

The girls looked at one another and smiled briefly as the late bell began to ring.

"Well, we should sit down now before the teacher gets on our case," Kaitlyn stated.

They left me and went to sit back down at their own desks. Class passed quickly again, and I was invited to eat lunch by the two strange eyed girls. I walked behind them in the hallway, but unlike other times in these halls when the over population would cause me to be squished and pushed along in the current of bodies; now, following these two odd girls, people parted around them, and I could actually move by myself.

I came to a crowded table, as Kaitlyn and Tally led me into the lunchroom. The trio from my band class were there and sat with one another near to what would seem to be the head of this long oval shaped table. The red haired girl was sitting on Mr. Scary Blue Eyes' lap, and her friend, with the darker skin and white eyes, sat across from them.

There were several other people at the table, and all of them had bizarre eyes. A long haired blond girl, whose hair reached the id of her back, had eyes that couldn't to decide what color they wanted to be, they seemed to shift through all the colors of the rainbow as she moved about. There was a rather muscular guy with pale golden eyes, that looked very old and very wise all at once. Another blond who had her hair in a long braid down her back had eyes that were a dark blood red, that sent chills up my spine. And the last member of the large group was the black haired boy with a full go-tee growing in, his eyes were black shined in the light of the room.

I looked over the large group as the ones I came with greeted their friends. I stood off to the side near Kaitlyn as I watched the table fill with excitement. Though there was something odd that I noticed. none of them had any food in front of them, even though it was the beginning of lunch, and most others students were downing their meals.

At the far end of the table, I saw _him._ The red-eyed boy from before. He sat there calmly, softly nodding whenever someone spoke to him. However, I noticed that his trench coat was gone, and that the clothing he had was wearing was really, elegant looking. He had on a red velvet shirt and black dress pants; the shirt had several buttons undone that showed a bit too much of his chest, and that was a slight embarrassment, especially for my since I grew up in a modest Christen family.

Now that I actually looked at everyone, and wasn't distracted by their eyes, they all dressed in a similar fashion. An elegant look, really too elegant for high school wear, dress pants, shirts and blouses, it confused me a little.

My curious eyes soon caught the red-eyed boy's attention. As his friends noisily chattered in front of him, he stared up at me with bewildered eyes. The sight of him was astounding; his long hair framed his curved face perfectly. However the eye contact with him soon broke.

"CHASE!!!" I jumped as I heard a loud yell over the chatter of the vast lunchroom. I looked up to the balcony overhead to see where the scream had come from.

There, bent over the railing was a small girl with raven black shoulder length hair and bright orange eyes. She came running down the stairs and plopped herself in the red-eyed boy's lap. The sight of her great affection for him shocked me as she hugged and cuddled against him. Then the boy frowned, not seeming to like the attention at all. He picked her up, as if she weighted nothing at all, and dropped her on the ground next to him. She hit the ground with a soft thud, and began to cry. Looking at her, the boy rolled his eyes and gently stroked her head. She sniffled and stopped her wailing. I blinked several times and looked away from the odd scene.

I watched in awe, as the group seemed just to keep to themselves. They never turned, or got up to walk to another table; and no one else came near them. I glanced around, I guess I looked like an odd duck standing here near these people, and this made me a little nervous.

I sat myself down at a table nearby, and watched the group with decaying interest. I received a few stares from the group, but they mostly kept to themselves, not even bothering to notice me. The couples from band class had their foreheads together and were whispering something back and forth. As they talked, I noticed his grip around her waist tighten; she then shook her head at him and forced herself out of his grip and off his lap.

To my surprise, she walked over to where I was and sat next to me. I saw her boyfriend pout a little, but he turned back to the group and ignored us.

"Hey," she said as she plopped down in the seat next to me.

"Um, hi?' was my confused reply.

"You're new here right?"

"Yeah, I am."

"Cool, name's Brianna, but please call me Bri." The girl held out her hand waiting for me to take it.

"Darby." Taking the girl's hand, I shook it lightly, noticing how warm it was.

"Cool, but you don't look like a Darby to me."

"Yeah I know, everyone tells me that."

"Oh? Funny." Bri gave a light laugh, her voice sounded like light little bells and her silvery green eyes glittered with amusement.

"Well now you've met me, and you've met Katy and Tally, so I'll point out the rest of our little clique." She pointed to the table she had come from and started from our left. "Ok Katy and Tally are there, Lindsey is the one wearing all black and has the very long blond hair, and next to her is Hattie, with the braid. Across from them is Nick with the ugly facial hair." She made a grimace and moved on. "Christen is sitting by him, and my friend you might have seen with me in band class this morning is next, she's Kristen, or rather Kcie. Across from her is the love of my life, David. And finally we come to the end of the table with the dude that's hair is too long for his own good, Chase and his little girlfriend Misty." Bri took a big breath and let it out slowly, recovering from the large amount of information she had just sputtered out.

I gave her a wide-eyed look; this name info was going to be hard to memorize, I was already confused. I looked back at the group and tried to repeat all the names in my head and match them with the faces.

"Wow, you have a lot of friends. And, well, I'm shocked you're talking to me at all, let alone giving me the names of all them." I admitted, kind of wondering why she was so friendly to the 'new kid'.

"Eh, well, there's something different about you from the other…_people_ here." I found it odd that she had paused in her answer, but dismissed the thought. "Well, anyway, where are you from?"

"Florida." I answered dully.

"Florida?! Why the hell did you come to the opposite side of the country?"

"My parents wanted a severe change in scenery, I guess."

"Damn, that must have been hard for you," Bri stated shaking her head, from what may have been an old memory, from the look on her face.

"Yeah it was," I replied while I gave her a questioning look. It was odd that she was taking such and interest to me; she had seemed to not like me at all earlier, with her odd glaring. "I had a lot of friends there. Now everyone here must think I'm crazy."

Bri laughed, her bell-like laugher echoed though the noisy lunchroom. She shook her head, sending her dark red hair shimmering down her back. "You mean from you screaming in class today?" she asked, pure amusement glowing from her eyes.

I nodded, blushing from the embarrassment.

"Why did you scream anyway, though it was funny, it seemed rather odd." Her eyes narrowed into silver slits.

I turned back to her table of friends, glancing at the red-eyed boy she'd said was Chase.

"The boy at the far left, Chase right?" I asked, making sure I had it right.

"Yes?" Her eyes darkening, just like her tone.

I gulped, I was scared to answer, scared to say anything about the eyes that had frightened me and made me scream. "I thought he was a girl, till I noticed the fact that he had no boobs." I somewhat lied.

Bri raised an eyebrow, smiled, then burst into a bell like chorus of laughter. It stunned me, and I blinked, then there in front was of me Bri's boyfriend. His once pale blue eyes, now a dark grayish blue.

"Bri," He said in a rather stern voice. "We're heading to the library now, you coming?" There was a sort of pleading note in his voice, as though he was begging her to go with him and the others.

Bri made a sort of whining noise but then nodded in compliance. "All right," was all she said to him as she stood up.

The boy's face lit up, and his eyes brightened as well.

"See you later then Darby." Bri said waving to me as she followed her boyfriend and the others up the staircase.

I watched them go, a little disappointed. _Guess I am still not one of the group yet. Why would I be yet?_I shrugged, and pulled the small lunch I had grabbed this morning out of my bag. I ate alone, quietly, watching other students pass by. I yawned, and the bell rang. As I rose from my seat, I noticed that the students avoided the table where the group had been. I wondered if they saw their eyes too, or if there was somethingI didn't know about this group.

The rest of the day passed by slowly-and uncomfortably. Many people stared, pointed, and laughed at me, it was very embarrassing. By the time my sixth period began, my face was burning from all the blushing.

Walking into the chemistry class, I noticed a flicker of red. I froze in mid step, as I saw _him, _Chase_._ His red eyes held my gaze, keeping me from moving_. _He then suddenly looked away from me, down at a book he held, and I exhaled, realizing I had been holding my breath the whole time. I shook my head slightly, feeling dizzy and light headed, and I walked over to the teacher.

To my dismay and horror, the teacher placed me in the empty seat next toChase. I stiffly walked to my new seat, and sat down with a hard 'thud'. Looking over my shoulder, I just briefly took gaze at him, and his gaze was on me to. His bright red eyes, open wide, seemed to be focused on only me. Then a smile crossed his thin lips. I tried to breathe, but all I could get in was short gasps, then he frowned.

"You alright?" his voice was deep, and seemed to be rich with age.

I shook my head from side to side, sending my long hair about my face. He laughed at me, making my face burn more. His laugh was similar to Bri's, bell like but much smoother and deeper.

"I'm sorry," He apologized. "It's my eyes isn't it?" His joyful eyes turned to glaring orbs of fire.

I froze, terrified. His eyes grew darker until they were completely black. "YES!" I found myself shouting. At this point the teacher had been starting his lecture and now he and the rest of the class were staring at me and Chase. I hid my face in my hands, feeling them burn with the blush from my face. However, Chase laughed, and I looked up to him, curious to why he was laughing now.

"It's alright teach, she'll be fine," he chuckled lightly.

The teacher looked at me to see if this was true, I nodded and covered my face again. The students began to slowly turn around and mumble to themselves. I felt slightly relived at that, until I felt a sharp pain in my knee. I looked down and in shock looked up at Chase. He was gripping my knee and his eyes were fire once again.

"So it was my eyes then?" he whispered, anger growing in every word.

I couldn't help but nod, and he squeezed my knee harder. I covered my mouth to keep from screaming again. So maybe I wasn't crazy, but how did he first guess that it was his eyes that were doing this to me?

"What are you? To be able to see _my_ eyes?"

I shook my head, what was he talking about? His hand then gripped harder on my knee, I gasped into my hands.

"Are you some sort of special hunter? Or one of us?" he hissed, his question ringing in my mind, as if he was not only just verbally speaking to me.

I couldn't pull my eyes from burning ones of his.

"If you will not answer willingly, I have no choice."

My mind went blank and I couldn't feel the pain in my knee, I couldn't feel anything. Suddenly memories flooded my mind, playing like a movie, but in reverse, like a film with the rewind button hit. I couldn't think right, couldn't feel, smell, there was nothing, nothing but my memories, my life on rewind. Finally, I could see again, and there were his eyes again, but they were much softer and gentler looking.

"I'm sorry," he whispered in a soft warm tone, "I shouldn't have done that, but…." He sighed. "Well you're fine, I have no need to fear you. You must just be very special then." He turned his head away and faced the front of the class.

I was confused, _special?_ What had he meant by that? And what had he just done to me? I couldn't ask these burning questions, I was too terrified to. Instead, I just sat there, pulling together the remains of my sanity.

The class ended shortly after the crazy incident, though I had no realization of what had happened during the normal class part - if there was one. I grabbed my bag and watched as Chase dashed quickly out of the room, his quick movements so very graceful and dance like. I stood there amazed and baffled, until I was pushed and shoved as students tried to leave the classroom.

I slumped into my dad's car when he'd driven up to the curb.

"So how was your first day sweetie?" He asked casually.

"Odd…but I think I… befriended someone…" My mind was still in a bit of a fog.

"You think?" he asked looking over at me, his face confused. "You all right honey? You look really flushed."

"I'm… fine dad." Or at least I thought I was, but I didn't tell him that.


	2. Getting Comfortable

**o2. Getting Comfortable**

**My new home was peaceful and relaxing as I walked in. My Mom was at her new job and my dad was now on the computer looking for a place to rent for his privet practice as a lawyer. I went to my room, sat on my bed, and took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down from the day's events. I pulled out an old book my dad had given me when I we first moved in, when I had finally centered myself. **

**I had never really liked the book. The things inside had scared me. But there was something that I wanted to know, maybe this book had answers.**

**My dad said he had written this book before he had met my mother, and as I flipped through the vast assortment of sketches and notes, I could only guess that he was passionate about whatever this was. Much of what made up this book were drawings of bizarre monsters and little notes and stories written next to them. I still wondered why he had given it to me, and what he had meant when he handed me the book the day we came here; "You'll need it one day." What was that suppose to mean? **

**I flipped through all the pictures, looking only at the eyes. Nothing looked at all, like what I had seen earlier today, in fact none of the drawings had eyes at all drawn in. I sighed I was being stupid, why was I thinking that they could be something else. These people were, just that, people with odd eyes. Maybe they all had some sort of illness that made them like that, maybe they were the crazy ones. In addition, with what happened in class, I was just probably getting sick. I gave another sigh, one of relief and threw the book on my desk and left it there.**

**Dinner that night was a little chatty, but it was mostly my mom talking. She talked about her job and her first day there. She seemed so excited.**

**My mom is a hyperactive, careless person, and other than my looks, I don't know what I inherited from her. My dad was much like myself, or should I say, I am much like him, calm, most the time at least. After dinner, since I had no real homework, I went to bed early. The stress from the day soon caught up to me and I was asleep before I knew it.**

**I awoke from a dreamless slumber to the annoying buzz of my alarm clock. I groaned as I rolled out of my warm bed. "It's too late for this," I mumbled to myself, remembering how far behind it was here, from Florida. **

**Turning on the hot water for my shower, I shivered as it ran down my skin. I finished, and then proceeded to finished everything else I needed to do to get ready for the day rather quickly. I hurried through my breakfast and quickly brushed my teeth when I was done. I wanted plenty of time to think before I had to go to school. I slumped on the couch in the living room, laying my head back on the top of the couch. **

**What was I going to do? I had to face those people again today! **_**WHAT WAS I GOING TO DO?! **_**They scared me, but did no one else see their eyes the way I did? Did actually no one notice their existence but me? **

**When my dad patted me on the shoulder, I jumped.**

"**Need a ride sweetie?" he asked apprehension in his tone.**

"**Yeah, that'd be nice Dad." I stood up and walked back to my room to grab my book bag and oboe case.**

**The car ride over the tide flats was warm. It was mainly quiet the whole ride over but Dad did briefly mention how unsuccessful he was at finding an office to rent for work. **

**I hated getting out of the warm car to step onto the wet curb of the sidewalk. I looked up at the school, its massive height looming grimly overhead, as if it knew everything that went on within its walls.**

**I said goodbye to my dad and shut the car door before he drove away. I still had twenty minutes until the first bell would ring. Sighing heavily, I walked down to the band room. I hoped that **_**they **_**wouldn't be here yet.**

**However, I was horribly wrong. There, in the same spot as the day before, were Bri and Kcie. Both of their eyes were on me, but neither of them seemed upset or tense; they seemed rather... happy. They waved lightly to me and asked me to come over to them. I walked over to them through the empty, quiet room. Only a few students were there other than the girls. **

"**Hey," I said when I greeted them.**

"'**Good morning." Bri said with a slight bow.**

"**Hi!" Kcie blurted out in a high-pitched yelp.**

**I stood there, a little shocked as she covered her face and blushed. Bri laughed at her friend, and patted her on the back. **

"**Kcie you dorko!" Bri shouted between fits of laughter. Kcie blushed an even deeper red. **

**The sight of this beautiful girl blushing like this made even me giggle a little bit.**

"**I'm sorry," Kcie said.**

"**No, no, it's all right," I said, hoping not to cause her any more embarrassment.**

**She eased up a bit and gave a small smile. Her white eyes seemed to glow a bit more. Bri patted her on the back again and turned to me.**

"**So, how was your first day yesterday? I heard that you were..." she laughed grimly. "...forced to talk to Chase." **

**I blushed. Did she find out about how I had screamed again?! "Um... yesterday was fine and... yeah... I met Chase in sixth period." I looked away. I could feel the heat of a blush burning my face, and I turned and gasped.**

**Huge, dark blue eyes glared down at me, making me instantly sweat. His beautiful dark skin was perfect; there was not a flaw on him. His large arms rippled with just the right amount of muscle. The silver hoops in his ears glistened in the light from the lights over head.**

"**Hey babe." I heard Bri's voice say in the distance. I shook my head and looked at her. To my surprise, they were in each other's arms already.**

"**Hello love," was David's response. **

**Bri smiled and leaned up to kiss him fully on the mouth. I looked down, too embarrassed to watch them. Now, I noticed their clothing rather well. **

**Bri was wearing skintight black pants that hugged every curve of her legs. She had large, black combat boots on and her shirt was a light green Tee-shirt. **

**David wore dress pants, black boots and a rather elegant light green, button down dress shirt. **_**They match!?**_** I laughed lightly to myself. They did match, almost perfectly. **

**I looked over at Kcie, but she seemed to be staring off into the distance not even paying any attention to the couple. She herself wore a white blouse, a long white skirt, and white leather-like boots.**

"**Darby!" I heard my name being yelled. "Return to Earth love!" I stared up at Bri, her silvery eyes sparkling.**

"**There we go," she smiled. "Now for a small, proper, introduction." She gave a slight glance at her boyfriend, and then returned to look at me.**

"**This here, as I told you yesterday, is my love, David. Dave, this is Darby." She motioned to me with her head.**

**He gave a "sort-of" smile and held out his hand.**

"**Nice to meet you properly." I couldn't quite tell, but I thought there was a bit of distaste in his voice. **

**I shook his hand and smiled lightly. "Nice to meet you as well." I felt embarrassed, but I had to ask, "How did you two come together?"**

**David put his hand through Bri's long red hair and pulled it to his face, closing his eyes as he inhaled. Bri giggled. I thought that **_**that**_** might have been one reason he liked her.**

"**We've known each other for a very long time," she giggled lightly.**

**David opened his eyes and gazed warmly down at her, his eyes now a calm light blue. He nuzzled her neck and she lightly laughed, whispering in his ear something too soft for me to hear, he then pulled his head back up and glared at her.**

**The door to the classroom opened up and I turned to see several students walk in. I pulled out my cell phone to check the time. Five minutes until class started. I turned back around to look at the group, but everyone was gone. Looking around, I saw that they were already setting up the chairs for class. I was amazed at how fast and graceful they seemed to be; even at just setting up chairs.**

**They had all the chairs and stands in perfect rows in a matter of seconds it seemed, and then they were back against the instrument lockers holding each other and standing just as before.**

**Bri and David laughed and giggled as they nuzzled and nipped at each other's necks. Kcie looked at me and spoke. "What do you play? Instrument wise I mean. I didn't see you with an instrument yesterday," she asked in a cute high-pitched voice that had the sound of light raindrops. **

"**I play oboe."**

"**Oh, that's an... interesting instrument. But it's needed in band, that's for sure." She blushed lightly, giving her dark skin a rosy tint. **

**I felt embarrassed myself, for making her blush. I looked away, as more students walked into the class and put instrument cases in their lockers.**

"**Class will start in a minute." I turned back as David spoke. He gave me a glare, but turned back to Bri with warm eyes. **_**Why does he keep glaring **__at me?!_

I could not help but stare at him. His blue eyes focused only on Bri. His arms were wrapped around her waist, holding her as close as physically possible, with clothing on. They, together like that made me even more embarrassed. Then the bell rang.

I jumped at the sound of the bell. I heard Bri's bell like laughter next to me.

Mr. Mulkins popped out of his office, looked around, and walked over once he saw me.

"Do you have an instrument today?" he asked.

I nodded. He gave me two thumbs up and walked back into his office. _How odd a teacher. _Many students then began to pour into the classroom and take their seats, or pull cases from lockers.

"Where do I sit?" I asked Kcie.

"Um... oboes are in the very middle of the first row," she said, pointing to where she was talking about.

"Thank you." I gave her a quick smile and then went to take my seat up front. I pulled out my oboe, piece by piece, slowly as not to harm the old instrument I had gotten when I was a kid. I quickly looked over the piece I had been given the day before, as I carefully placed the double reed into place on the neck of the instrument. It looked rather interesting. Some very exciting piece, with a lot of fast parts.

When the teacher started the class, I tried to keep up. They all must have been working on this piece for a while, because I found it rather difficult to stay with the other players.

The class went by really fast and before I knew it, we were putting our instruments away and placing the chairs back on their racks.

I was instantly drawn back to the trio, to be near them.

Bri was in David's arms and Kcie was reading a book next to them. When I walked over, they smiled, well, except for David, who was glaring down at me gain. I looked away from him and smiled at Bri.

"So, what'd you think of the piece we're playing?" she asked.

"Pretty neat, you guys are really good," I replied. Bri laughed.

"We aren't called 'The Best High School Band Ever' for nothing! It's a true statement and it's all because of Mr. Mulkins. He's the best." Bri then smiled proudly and looked up at David.

"Hey babe, we need to practice at home tonight, 'kay?"

"Sure," he said with a light peck on her lips.

"Oh!" Kcie blurted out. We all then stared at her. "Oh, um... well, we should all form some sort of little band like thingy like thing... yeah..." She then began to blush uncontrollably.

Bri broke out in her bell-toned laughter. Even David began to laugh, he sounded like a large waterfall, tumbling over many cliffs.

"Kcie, that's a good idea, especially with the whole _family_. Now we've got Darby here! That'd be cool."

Kcie's white eyes glowed with pride as her idea was considered as being 'good'. Bri then turned to me.

"That sound good to you?"

"Yeah," I agreed. "But where would we practice?" I asked.

"Well, there's here, after or before school, or... _our_ house?"

"Bri!" David glared down at her.

"What?!" She glared back, her green eyes blazing.

"We should run that idea by Chase before inviting _her_ to the house." David shot another glare at me.

I stood there, petrified by his dark blue eyes. I looked back at Bri to try to find some help from his 'Death' glare, but she just rolled her eyes.

"I'll talk to Chase before next period, jeez, what's with you today?"

David's eyes softened as he looked down at Bri. He pulled her closer to him and as he rested his forehead on her shoulder, he seemed to whisper something to her. Bri responded by pulling his face up and kissing him. I turned away, trying not to ruin their moment.

The bell rang as the couple were still deep in their kiss. Students hurried out of the room like no tomorrow. I walked quietly to my second period, feeling a growing dread in the pit of my stomach. What if _he_ came by class to talk to Bri like yesterday?

Bri walked next to me on the way to class, being silent as well. Once we reached class, _he_ was there. There Chase stood, leaning against the lockers. The way he was dressed startled me. He had a total colonial style outfit on. A blue velvet - I could be wrong - coat that reached past his knees, complete with the frilly cloth protruding from the ends of the sleeves. He had an off-white frilly shirt on underneath, dark brown, skin-tight trousers, high off-white socks, and, to complete his whole ensemble, colonial style dark brown shoes. His long hair was pulled back in a ponytail at the nape of his neck, and hung loosly about his shoulders.

He leaned forward when we came near, giving both Bri and me an amused smile. He gave a side hug to Bri and looked down at me. His beautiful red eyes glittered in the pale light reflecting through the windows. Bri leaned up and whispered something into his ear. He laughed and looked down at me.

"Bri tells me that Kcie plans on making a little band and having _you_ join the group."

I stared up at him and I was sure that there was a surprised look on my face. _How'd she say all of that to him with such a short whisper?_

He began to laugh again.

"Chase, I think you're scaring her or something," Bri said, waving her hand front of my face.

I blinked, a little stunned. Then I shook my head. Chase laughed again.

"It's fine with me. Just make sure we _know_ when you're coming over, okay?" he gave me a warm smile.

"Sure," I nodded and the bell rang. Bri pushed me into the classroom and dashed to her seat.

Class was boring and passed slowly, but I was soon off to Japanese. My legs hurt and cramped after climbing up to the fourth floor. I slumped in my seat, relieved to feel my leg muscles relax. However, as I sat down, Kaitlyn and Tally were on either side of me.

"Hiya! What 'cha doing?" Tally asked. She seemed rather hyperactive.

"Um... nothing really." I lifted an eyebrow at her.

Kaitlyn shook her head and smiled, waydown at me. I had to tilt my head almost all the way back to look at her face.

Her mossy green eyes sparkled richly. "Chase said that we're putting a band together and that you're joining. Sounds like fun to me really."

"You spoke to Chase? When?" I asked. Having only seen him before last period, I wondered if she and Chase had the same second period.

"We, err... _saw_ him before this class," she mumbled. I had to strain to hear her.

They were shooed to their seats by the teacher before I could ask her about it.

Lunch was the same as the day before; same people, same spots and same food, for me at least. No one else had any food with them. They just sat and talked with one another. I was more or less invited to sit at their table, though I was probably took Chase's girlfriend's spot, because when she came down to the table she grumbled under her breath and took a spot beside him. Bri was on David's lap like yesterday, and was busily chatting with him and Chase. Then she suddenly looked paralyzed.

Bri stopped in mid-sentence and completely froze. I looked at her in confusion and then noticed that almost everyone else at the table was like that too. In unison, they all turned toward the staircase.

A boy with shoulder length dark red hair was walking carefully down the stairs. He looked up when everyone eyed him. Like everyone else his eyes were oddly colored, they were pure black. There was no telling the pupil from the rest of his eye, and there was no white iris like there should have been. When he reached the bottom of the stairs, Bri jumped up and seemed to tackle him, though his muscled body mass probably kept him up.

"Drake, you're back!" Bri yelled as she jumped up and down, hugging the boy. "How was your trip?"

The boy smiled and ran a hand through Bri's hair. I felt David tense beside me. I looked at him from the corner of my eye. He was completely rigid as he watched Bri with the new person.

"My trip was... successful, in most parts," his voice was dark and warm, like a summer night, a night that you would want nothing more to do than sit out and watch the stars. "So, how are you Bri?" he asked her in a soft voice that seemed to only be meant for her. My chest pounded as he spoke, and a spark of anger flashed through my body.

"I've been good. We have a new friend," Bri talked back in a friendly tone, seeming to ignore the way he had just spoken to her.

He lifted his pitch black eyes to look up at me. I froze. His eyes seemed to pierce through me even more fiercely than Chase's had.

However, his eyes soon slid away from me and landed on David.

"Yo, Dave. What's up?" The warmth seemed to leave his voice as he spoke to David. David stood up, still rigid, and walked over to him.

"Hey, Drake." They shook hands. They seemed to grip each other's hands very tightly. "Nothing much here, just same old same old."

From where I sat, I could feel the tension between the two boys growing. Drake gave a halfhearted smile, and then turned back to Bri, giving her a very warm smile. She seemed to, more or less, ignore him and turned to me.

"Hey Darby, come meet Drake here."

I stood up robotically, and walked over to them.

"Drake, Darby. Darby, Drake. There, now we are introduced."

Drake's eyes lingered on Bri before turning to me. I couldn't look at those pitch black eyes, and turned my head way, feeling my face heat up and redden.

"Hello," he said, his soft voice containing only a little warmth.

I saw him tilt his head, out of my peripheral vision, to look me in the face.

"Are you ok?" he asked, raising a dark eyebrow.

His black eyes pinned me where I was.

"Y-y-yes, I-I'm alright." I could feel my cheeks burning now.

His smile was sweet now, as he lifted his head back.

"That's a good thing then." His gaze turned back to Bri and again, I could feel tension build up from David beside me.

"Drake!" I heard Chase yell from behind. "Come here man, tell me about your trip."

Drake placed a hand on Bri's shoulder before walking over to Chase. As soon as Drake was gone, David had his hands on Bri. Truly, there had to be something between those guys over her.

Fourth period English yesterday had been slow and embarrassing, but today's class was frightening. Drake was in my class and though he sat a little bit away from me, just the thought of him there sent shivers up and down my back.

My chest pounded whenever he spoke and I got dizzy every time I saw him smile. Nevertheless, throughout the whole class time, he never noticed me, but I couldn't keep my eyes off him. My fifth period dance class was a daze and I continued to be in a daze like state until I sat down next to Chase in chemistry.

"So, you free this weekend?" he asked me.

I turned to him and replied with a slow nod.

"Good, cause I was talking it over with everyone and we'd want to start our little ensemble on Saturday. If that's alright with you?"

I nodded. It sounded cool, I guess. "What are all the instruments in the group?" I asked, a little curious.

He gave me a bright smile. "Well, Dave's on flute; Kcie on French horn or trumpet; Bri on bass clarinet; Katy on French horn; Tally on violin; Nick on bassoon; me on cello and you on oboe or clarinet. Whichever you want or whichever suits the piece we pick," he said this all in one breathe.

I nodded again. It seemed like we had our own mini orchestra going on.

"Alright then, come over on Saturday. Here's my number. Call that morning and I'll give you the address and time to come."

I nodded once again as I took a piece of paper from him that had the seven digit number on it, and placed it in my pocket. The class time after our conversation was hazy. I barely remembered leaving the classroom and walking down to my dad's car after the bell had rang.

"So your second day go well, you talk to any of the same kids you did to yesterday?" My dad's question brought me out of my haze.

"Yeah, yeah, we talked." I mumbled, "And I got invited into a small wind ensemble, we're going to be like a little band. Our first practice is on Saturday."

"Oh, that's _cool_, right?"

"Dad, don't say _cool_, it's totally _uncool_." I grumbled, and he laughed.

"Alright, alright," He chuckled. "Where will this practicing take place?" Ha asked, a little skepticism in his voice.

"Um, I'm not to sure. Chase, he's a new friend, gave me his number and said to call Saturday morning to get his address."

My dad grunted, "alright, but I'll want to talk to his parents when I drop you off."

"Fine, fine, dad." I sighed; I would have to tell Chase that tomorrow, to make sure about it.

Dinner might have been nice, but again my mother was nonstop babbling about her new job and people she had befriended. I tried to listen to her, nodding now and then, but couldn't pay much attention, _ah my mother the actress._ I went to bed after I watched some random T.V. show with my dad. And so far I hadn't had much homework since I started my new school, so I could just go straight to bed.

Trying to sleep was dreary and restless. Drake's face wouldn't leave my mind, or rather his piercing black eyes wouldn't stop glaring at me. I remembered one of the others in the group having black eyes, but Drake's seemed so much more…_dead._

Sleep soon became an impossibility, so I laid there awake, trying to keep my mind from drifting back to Drake, but I lost that battle as well. What was it that kept me thinking about him? Yes, he's really good looking, but not more so than Chase or David. I couldn't come up with any reason why he was on my mind. Was it the way he pushed his hair back behind his ears while he did his class work?

I had watched him in class, and when ever the hair resisted and fell across his face, my chest would beat harder. It couldn't be that though, maybe his deep dark soft laughter? No not that either, or maybe everything about him? I didn't know I couldn't pin point anything.

All I could think about were those black eyes, and how they…frightened me, yes frightened me, and yet the lured me. Now that I had found out the reason to my obsession, sleep kidnapped me, and I awoke to the loud droned beeping of my alarm clock.

Wednesday, then the next two days, passed in a unison pattern. Band first period, talking with Bri and Kcie and the constant glaring from David. Second period, chatting with Bri; third, Japanese, talk and laughter with Kaitlyn and Taly. Lunch with the group at the way overly crowded table. Fourth, English, with the chest pains and hot flashes that I was sure were from Drake. Dance for fifth period, which was boring as hell. Then sixth, chemistry, with Chase, who proved to be a fountain of conversation. Soon Saturday was upon me, and I was very excited.


	3. Holy Crap

**o3 Holy Crap**

From the directions Chase gave me, it wasn't hard to find his home. He lived only a couple miles from the school and in an unbelievably huge home. His house was a complete mansion. I stared in disbelief as I checked the address. It was the right house. I walked up the large marble steps and between the twenty feet tall, white pillars. The bell rang like a hundreds of chimes as I pressed it. I waited for a few minutes, but didn't hear any sound from behind the large white doors.

I hit the button again, setting the hundreds of chimes off again.

"Coming! I'm coming!" I heard a low-pitched yell.

A muscular boy with golden eyes, who I remembered from our lunch table, opened the door. He looked me over while adjusting his glasses.

" 'Ello Darby," he said with a firm voice, and with a half smile on his face.

"Hello, Christen, is it?" I asked, his name popping into my head.

He gave me an affirming nod and pulled the large door open. I stepped in, after half turning back to wave goodbye to my dad. He waved back and then drove off.

The first thing I noticed inside the house was how white it was. The walls and ceiling were painted all white and the skylights above made the white marble floor glitter. A black carpet led from the doorway to a staircase that led up to a large balcony. There were large doorways on either side of me, as well as one on each side of the staircase. Above on the balcony, there were doors on the sidewalls and three at the top of the balcony. The frames of all the doors and the skylights were painted black, which contrasted with the white and gave an eerie feeling.

I sucked in my breath as I looked over the large entry hall. Christen started chuckling behind me. I turned back to him, my eyes bulging. He chuckled again.

"So, you like our little home then, eh?"

I turned back around to rescan the room to make sure I hadn't been dreaming, but still the large room remained. The white walls reflected the little amount of sunlight that came in, and lit up the room more than any light bulb could.

"Whoa," was the only word that escaped my lips.

I heard another chuckle, but this one was deeper. I turned back around, but I knew this voice, so I was prepared. I covered my mouth to keep myself from screaming at the sight of the pitch black eyes.

"Yo," Drake said in his deep, soft voice.

"Hi," I squeaked.

Christen looked from Drake to me, and then back to Drake. He sighed. "Darby, the others are in the dining hall waiting for you."

I looked back at Christen and nodded. "Alright, so where is that?" I asked, looking back at Drake.

"Follow me," Christen replied.

I quickly turned and followed him. Glancing back, I saw that Drake had gone. I didn't ask, though it did bother me a little.

Christen led me through one of the large doors on the side of the room. When I stepped inside the room, a small gust of wind hit my face. As I blinked to clear my eyes, I noticed that this room was painted the exact same way as the entry hall, white walls, white ceilings and a black carpet on the floor.

Several long windows lined the walls, letting a lot of the wet sun light in. A long, black Victorian style table was pushed to the side of the room. Several of the same style chairs were scattered about the room in a slight circle, and in them sat our little ensemble.

When I walked in, Bri and Chase looked up and smiled but David looked up and glared at me. I shivered as his icy eyes bored holes into my frozen body. Bri stood up and touched my arm. I sucked in a tight breath.

"Come sit down," she said pointing to a seat next to her.

I nodded and sat down, thankful that she had noticed her boyfriend's glare and had saved me from it. Most of the practice was actually talking. We only ran threw the piece we had gotten twice.

Bri and Kcie wouldn't stop laughing and giggling at things as they whispered back and forth. Misty had wandered in and started playing with Chase's hair. Katy and Taly talked, then bickered, and then eventually started whacking each other. Nick kept to himself, though I could swear that he kept looking up at me, but I knew that I was getting constant glares from one specific pair of cold eyes.

Though David constantly glared at me, I didn't let it keep me from the few short conversations I was let into. I soon learned that they were all juniors, except Misty, who was a sophomore. I heard Bri's gruesome explanation about her arm tattoo - apparently, it was more painful than it looked, I now knew that I never wanted one - and how it was a Celtic knot in a long band around the base of her right upper arm.

I was getting into another conversation, on some wacky new television show, with Katy and Taly when the door to the dining hall burst open. A girl whom I believed to be in her early teens came running in. Each stride of her long legs seemed like a ballet move.

When she reached us, she went straight to Chase. Bending over to his ear level, she quickly whispered something to him.

Chase immediately stood up, his chair flying back.

"I'm sorry something has come up. Bri, David, please come with me now." He handed his cello over to Taly and headed for the door. "I'm deeply sorry, Darby. Come back tomorrow and we'll play again," he said after turning back towards me. He quickly bowed and dashed out the door.

Bri and David quickly disappeared after him. I turned back to Katy and Taly, with, I assume, a really confused look on my face. They told me that it was just his work.

"Work?" I asked.

"Yeah, Chase, err… has his own business, under his parents," Katy replied.

I gave a quizzical look, but it made a little bit of sense, so I didn't press further on

the subject. I had called my dad and told him to come get me, but he would take about twenty minutes to get here from across the bay so Katy invited me up to her room to "hang out" until my dad came. The hallways were just like the entryway and dining hall, black carpets, white walls and ceilings, and several skylights. The black carpet continued into Katy's room. Her walls were yellow though, and her ceiling was black. She had a very long bed that had a black comforter and several yellow pillows. Piles of books were stacked about the room. There was also a bright yellow, leather chair with a music stand placed in front of it and a laptop rested on the chair.

I thought her room was rather cool looking. That is… until I noticed the Japanese style swords handing in an "X" above her _bed!_ That scared me somewhat.

"Like my Bumble-bee room?" I heard Katy chuckling behind me.

I turned to her and nodded trying to come up with my own explanation as to why she had those swords.

Katy tossed her French horn on her bed, I almost yelled at her for that, but it landed on a few of the pillows so I doubted that any damage had been done to it. Taly and Kcie had come with us into the room and were now rummaging through the stacks of books on Katy's floor. Kcie picked up a random book that seemed like a school math book and perked her head towards me.

"Hey, want to see my room to?" she asked hyperactively in her high cute little voice.

I tilted my head in confusion at such a random question.

"Y-you don't have to if you don't want to!" she exclaimed, instantly blushing.

"No, I'd love to see your room!" I said in a panicked rush, she looked like she was about to cry and I didn't want to cause her that.

A wide smile stretched across Kcie's face. "Yay!" she sang happily. Then, with amazing grace, she hopped over to me and took my hand. Opening the door we jogged out, she was more pulling me than then letting me go on my own. We ran across the balcony and through two black, iron spiral staircases. I guessed that I didn't notice them earlier since they didn't look familiar, but had they been there before?

"Those go up!"

I looked at Kcie as we reached what seemed to be the door to her room.

"What?"

"The spiral stairs, saw you looking at them, they can move up and down so that we can cut off the third floor. It's one of Chase's invention thingies."

"Oh? But what's the point in that?" I asked she dragged me into her room.

"Well…" Kcie's voice trailed off as I looked around her room.

There was neither black carpet, nor marble floor in her room, instead a light blue carpet covered the floor. The walls were the same white color as the rest of the house though, but her ceiling resembled a lightly cloudy sky. Many windows let in soft blue light that came in threw the blue nylon curtains. The blue light gave all the white furniture a blue tint and even the instruments that were laid out on her bed had the blue tinge. Her bookcase held many different books, though they were mainly history and comic books. However, just like Katy, Kcie had swords hung over her bed, and not just there, but all over _**ALL**_ the walls!

There were many different types of weapons, swords, daggers, spears and knives hanging from the walls on rack and in holders. I stared, wide eyed, at one certain sword above her bed. The sword was not in its sheath that hung on the rack on which it rested. What was interesting about the blade, though, was that it was a silvery-white color, much like Kcie's own eyes. The hilt and hand guard were the same color, as if the whole thing was made from the same material.

"Bri calls me the angel of war." Kcie giggled as she watched my facial expressions.

She stepped over to a rack of swords and pulled down a Spanish styled blade.

"I love to collect weapons."

I stared at her, dumbfounded. Kcie, who I had found to be as innocent as a child was now talking about weapons as if they were dolls or toys! This rather scared me a bit.

"N-now, why do you like to collect them?" I asked nervously.

She turned to me and held out the sword. I flinched slightly, causing her to giggle.

"It's alright. Take it and look at it."

I grabbed the sword by its golden hilt, it was lighter than I had expected. I held it in both hands and looked over it carefully. It was pretty, rather shiny, and sparkled in the blue light.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Kcie asked a sense of pride in her voice.

"Yeah, it's lovely," I commented.

She picked up the blade and held it firmly in her hands.

"Hard to believe that something so beautiful could easily kill you." She placed the sword back in its place and turned back to me.

"So, you like my room then?" Her eyes searched my face for approval.

"Yes, it's very nice." I gave her a smile. Then something came to me.

"Wait. Do all of you live here?" I asked, confused. If Kcie and Katy lived here with Chase, did Bri, David and the rest of them live here as well?

Kcie smiled, "Yep yep! We all do. Chase's grandmother took us all in. Most of us are orphans and foster children."

"Foster… orphans?" I repeated, questioningly.

"Yes, we're from all around, and Granny Rowena saved us." A smile of true happiness crossed Kcie's face.

"Rowena?" I asked stupidly.

"Yep, Rowena, she's a kind old lady who used the great fortune she has to help us."

"Well, where is she? I remember that Chase said his parents weren't home this morning, but he never mentioned a grandmother."

Kcie sighed and looked toward the window. "Chase's parents are long since gone from this world. He won't talk about it though, and just pretends that they're still around."

"Oh…. That is very sad. Why does he do that?"

"Heh," Kcie frowned. "His parents died on one of their many business trips, car accident. It was such a shock to him that he's still in denial, even after all these years."

I frowned and turned my face slightly away, when I noticed how sad Kcie seemed to be. I grew desperate to change the subject and get rid of the depressing feeling that radiated from her.

"So, Bri lives here too?" I asked a rather stupid question after what she had just explained.

"Yep! Want to see her room!?" She seemed really excited to ask me that.

"Um sure, but won't she mind?"

Kcie frowned. "Oh, that's right. Well, she wouldn't mind really, but David might."

"David? Why would he mind me seeing her room?" Was he that territorial?

"They share a room," she said bluntly.

"What?!" That was shocking. "They share? Why?"

"Because they love one another and won't be separated!" She giggled. "Plus, there's only eleven rooms, and there are thirteen of us. So, they share. They love the idea, but… Drake doesn't." Kcie frowned and turned her head to a window.

I had lightly blushed when she had mention Drake, and turned away.

"What's up with him and Bri?" I choked out.

"Long story, for another time."

I turned back to see her give a halfhearted smile.

"So let's go see her room! I'll explain it to them later." Her smile brightened as she grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the room.

Bri and David's room was right next door to Kcie's, and as we left her room, Kcie pulled me into theirs and switched on the light. The room seemed more normal than Kcie and Katy's had been. The walls had been painted a light green, like spring grass. The ceiling and what you could see of the carpet, were white. The floor was littered with books; they were everywhere, in piles, stacks and thrown about. Piles of books were even stacked on the black and white bed.

"Their room is such a mess," Kcie scolded as she ran about, picking up books and placing them in neat stacks.

"And it's too dark." She pulled back the green mesh curtains and the let the afternoon sun fill in the room. I then noticed the drawings, sketches and paintings that covered the wall that the door was on. They all seemed to be taped or tacked up, and not in frames. I walked up closer to the wall to get a better look and the artwork.

Many of the pencil sketches and paintings were of wolves and dragons. In several of them, a wolf and a dragon would be together; hugging, licking one another, touching. It seemed rather cute, but one thing that I did notice was that in all the drawings and paintings it was the same dragon and wolf.

"What are these?" I asked Kcie turning around.

"Oh, those?" Kcie popped up with and armful of books. "Those are, um, characters in one of Brianna's stories. She loves to draw them."

"A wolf and a dragon though?"

Kcie dropped the books on the bed. "Yeah. The story is about how, when you love someone, it doesn't matter what you are."

I looked back up at the drawings. "That's seems like a beautiful story."

"Yeah, it is." Kcie walked up next to me and pointed to a certain sketch that seemed very detailed.

"This is David's favorite of her works."

It was a picture of the wolf, but now looking at it, it barely resembled a wolf at all. It did have fur, four legs, ears and a tail, but the legs were far too long, as well as the claws. Its neck was too long also, and so was its tail. Its entire body was very thin and narrow.

"What's with this wolf? Is it starving or something?" I asked, turning to Kcie.

She shook her head. "Nope, that's just the character and how Bri drew her."

"Odd," I commented.

Then my phone went off, my dad was here. Kcie walked me to the front door and led me out. I waved to her as I hopped into the car and again as we drove away.

"So, you guys get anything done?" my dad asked, amusement in his tone.

"Yeah, we did." I glared at him.

He laughed and looked out the front window.

"I got a job," he said, after a few minutes.

"Oh?" I asked, looking back up at him. "You going to be a lawyer again or what?"

He chuckled. "I didn't go to law school to become a doctor or anything else. But yeah, I'm still a lawyer, and now, I've got an office and my first case."

"That was fast," I replied as I turned away to see the house fading in the distance.

"Yeah, well, I guess the system is better here."

I laughed and tapped my fingers on my chin. My dad's a lawyer, my mom's an actress. How they are still together baffles me. I leaned my head against the window and watched the water run by as we drove over the tide flats. It would be another rainy night.

A light fog had rolled over the house the next morning. I was wearing the new black and white striped rain boots my mom had bought for me. They clunked against the marble steps as I walked up to the white mansion.

I pulled my oboe case out of my coat before ringing the doorbell. The door quickly opened and I was welcomed by Bri's smiling face.

"Hey! Sorry 'bout yesterday. The bank had informed us that someone was trying to get into Chase's account," she said. Her tone seemed slightly fake, but I didn't question her about it.

"Okay, I hope nothing bad happened."

"Naw, its all fixed and stuff. Come on, everyone is eating lunch now. Let's go to the kitchen." Bri shut the door behind me and led me through a door, half hidden by the stairs.

When I walked into the kitchen, I first noticed how bright it was, even with the fog outside. Everyone sat around a white marble top "island" in the middle of the kitchen -the whole kitchen was actually white, except for the black tile floor, which was also very shiny- and were eating.

The entire group was eating, but not what I thought _practically living on their own_ teenagers would eat. I expected pizza or burgers, but the counter was covered with fruits and vegetables. Bri pushed me to a stool next to her. David sat on the other side of her, his icy eyes burning holes into me again, but something else caught my attention.

In front of David and Bri was a large plate of raw meat. The smell was what had caught me. The rank scent stung my lungs, I covered my mouth and nose, looking up at Bri as she grabbed a hunk of whatever meat it was and shoved it into her mouth. She looked down at me and smiled her mouth still full.

"Wha?" she asked while chewing.

"You're eating raw meat!" I exclaimed as I watched David stick a hunk into his mouth.

"Oh, right," Bri chuckled. "Well, both David and like I it."

"But don't you get sick?"

Bri laughed. "Nope, we're special." She laughed again and grabbed another hunk of meat, tossing it into her mouth.

I stared at her for a moment, and then looked away toward everyone else. Everyone was here, even the younger girl that had come in on our practice the day before. Drake was there. I watched his black eyes scan over the food laid out in front of him. Again, I was scared, but this time, my fear brought out my curiosity. Their eyes… I still didn't know why all of their eyes were so strange. Truly, I thought I should be scared of them all- even more so than I already was- and not be here. Yet, the strangeness of their eyes didn't make me want to leave. In truth, I liked them, and felt drawn to them.

Bri's silvery-green eyes suddenly caught me as she began to talk to me again.

"So Darby, how long can you stay tonight?" she asked.

"Uh, I don't know, until whenever you get sick of me, I guess."

Bri smiled and hopped off her seat. "Well, don't worry, we like you, so you can stay as long as you like. Now come on, let's get to our practice."

I followed quickly behind as everyone else started to leave the table. I held my oboe close to me, not out of fear of losing it, but because it was the only thing keeping me sane as Drake walked beside me. However, he soon disappeared as most of the others were doing.

As I walked into the dining room, I slightly bumped into Hattie - if I was remembering her name right. She looked at me dully, as if I was nothing of importance. Her dark red eyes caused my face to heat up, but she soon looked away from me as Chase came over. His face was a welcome relief from all my crazy emotions this morning. I always felt calm around him.

"So, did Bri and Dave's diet scare you?" He gave me a warm, amused smile.

"It was a bit odd," I replied.

He chuckled. "Well, that's just them. Only they understand each other." He looked as if he was amused by some untold joke. "We are going to have more 'normal' food tonight," he stated.

"Oh, what do you mean?" I looked up into his fierce red eyes, which seemed to be laughing.

"We're going up to Frisco Freeze. We will be walking up. It's about a mile and a half up there. Want to come?"

"Um… sure, I guess." I stared at him, a little shocked.

Frisco Freeze was a small, drive through burger place. There were others like that back in Florida but this one seemed a bit different. It was old- it must have been made in the seventies or something- and was still the original building, which made it a pretty cool vintage food stop.

"Cool, we'll head up at about five." He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. "Four hours from now." He smiled at me again before walking off to grab some chairs to put into a circle.

I nodded to myself and waited until everyone else had seated himself or herself.

We got to practicing after what seemed like an hour of just conversation. I had fun, though, and despite the fact that we didn't have much of a real practice, I still felt like something was accomplished, though I didn't know what.

Before I knew it, Chase was putting away his cello.

"Let's go get dinner then," he piped up, and then we were off.

The fog from this morning was gone, leaving the air crisp and a little chilly. Bri had loaned me one of her warmer jackets since I only had my raincoat. I had made sure to call my dad before we left the house, just so he wouldn't drop by and see that I wasn't there then freak out. It was only Chase, Misty, Kcie, Bri, David and I that went out, everyone else said they had better things to do than get fast food.

By the time we had reached Frisco Freeze it was already a little dark, which bothered me a bit. I felt better once I was eating the free burger I had been given.

Sitting on one of the benches close by, I finished off my burger. Bri plopped down next to me with five burgers, a large shake and a large box of fries gathered in her arms. She gave me a happy-go-lucky smile and began to munch on her large meal. Chase came over next, Misty dangling off his arm. She seemed like she was complaining about something, but when she was within a few feet of me, she shut up and looked up at Chase. I could tell that she was like David. She didn't like me either.

I sighed and looked over at the small restaurant in front of me- it really did need some tidying up… badly- and noticed Kcie coming over. She had a small shake and was sipping it as she walked. She must have enjoyed the flavor because she had a wide smile across her face. David was the last to get back to us. He sat beside Bri, on the other side of her-avoiding me- and kept his focus on the dozen burgers in his lap.

It was pretty quiet for a while as we all just sat and stood there. I picked at the burger wrapper I still had yet to throw away.

"This is nice!"

I looked up at Kcie as she began to blush after blurting out her loud comment. Bri began a chorus of bell-ish laughter, and soon everyone followed after until I myself was laughing. I saw how much this upset Kcie but I still couldn't keep from laughing.

Bri went over and hugged her friend, leaving her meal on David's lap.

"Kcie, you're such a dork sometimes. But you're right, this is nice."

Bri looked over at me and gave a soft smile. Then, she turned to David and snatched back her food from him. There was another roar of laughter as we all began to chat, while David and Bri finished eating.

"So, shall we head back then?" Chase asked as David swallowed the last of his burgers.

Everyone nodded and we set off, heading back to the house. The darkness of the streets was frightening, but the continual chatter from us eased the fear. Chase walked behind us- with Misty clinging firmly to his arm. I walked next to Kcie, and Bri and David walked at the front of our little party.

I knew David's feelings toward me were very unpleasant, but from where I was behind him, I could see how much of his feelings were only for Bri. He held her hand, their fingers laced together, and his eyes firmly locked onto her. I felt rather embarrassed from watching them, but I continued to nonetheless. His eyes were a soft, a glowing blue that contrasted so much with his dark skin and the darkness of the night. I could see the glimmer of love that resided in his eyes and I noticed the same sparkle in Bri when she turned back to him as they talked along our little walk.

Kcie and I were deep in conversation when we both walked right into Bri and David. I shook my head and looked at Bri. Her face was tense and her body rigid.

"Bri, you alright?" David asked, bending over to look into her face.

Bri's nostrils flared and she turned back to Chase. We all turned to look at him as well.

Chase too, was completely rigid and his eyes were dark red. "You smell them Bri?" Chase asked, though it sounded more like a growl than actual words.

Kcie and I both turned back to Bri as she nodded. Then I felt Kcie tense up next to me.

"What's going on?" I asked, turning to look at all of them.

David returned my question with a low growl.

"What the hell?" I took a few steps back, trying to get away from him. I felt cold hands wrap around my shoulders.

"Don't move… don't even breath." Chase's voice was cold in my ear.

Everyone was turned and looked at me… no… they weren't… they were looking past me.

"Heh heh, my Lord Lazzel, have you brought us a snack by chance?" The words sounded like the hiss of a snake.

"Cocky bastard." The growl erupted from Chase's throat; I could barely pull the words from it.

I was roughly shoved forward as Chase turned around. Bri caught me before I stumbled to the ground. I quickly turned my head to see who the stranger that had spoken was, the one who had made everyone so tense.

I gasped as I saw that the stranger was not alone. There were four of them, all with the same eyes, the same blood red piercing eyes.

"Holy crap" was the only thing that could escape my mouth.


	4. Wait, Not Human?

**o4 Wait! Not Human?**

"**So my lord, is she our parting gift?" The stranger that spoke smiled, his thin lips producing a sickly voice.**

"**She is none of your concern!" Chase barked; his firm voice making both me and the stranger flinch.**

"**Oh but my lord, how rude. You would let some of your **_**children **_**go hungry, and kick them out of your home. You are not that great of a father you know." Said what seemed to be the leader of this group of people. He stood out from the other three, short army cut hair, thin gangly, yet still lovely body. He was clean and freshly shaven, the others looked grimy, like homeless people.**

**Bri griped my arm hard. I could feel the tension building from her behind me as she still held me. I let out a muffled scream as there was a sharp pain in my arm. I looked down at where Bri's hand was, but in the dim light, I thought I might have been seeing things. It looked as if claws had erupted from Bri's hand - claws that were digging into my arm. She must have noticed me staring, because Bri pulled her hand away from me and stuffed it in her pocket.**

"**My lord." The leader piped again. "You have a lycan! Is it a pet or a slave?"**

_**Lycan**_**? I mouthed the word as I turned my head back and forth between the strangler and Chase.**

**Chase glanced at me, but returned his harsh gaze back at the strangers. **

"**Leave all of you!" Chase commanded strangers, his voice now deep, threatening. **

"**But my lord, we cannot now. We are too curious." A faint grin spread on the stranger's face as he narrowed his eyes. "Shall we have the girl then?" he asked one of his group, a tall woman, dirty, but still lovely under all the grim on her skin. **

**The woman gave a faint nod and a toothy grin. In an instant the woman was springing through the air towards me. I closed my eyes and ducked down out of the way of the attacking woman, but I looked up again to see the one male that had spoken was tangling with Chase, and the other two dirty people were gone from their spots. The next second, cloth bits fluttered down on me. I looked up to see the woman crouched low on the ground, close to me, like she had stopped in mid launch, and in front of her stood a large **_**wolf.**_** It's red fur and green eyes shimmered lightly in the faint moonlight. Then my eyes caught the movement of one of the strangers being thrown about fifty feet down the street, breaking apart the asphalt on impact.**

**I tilted my head, to where he had been thrown from, and I saw Chase or what I thought was Chase. The face was Chase but his hair reached the ground and it was pure silver. He looked back at me fear raging in his red eyes, was he frightened? Then the sound of crunching, tearing, and the blood curtailing scream of a woman grabbed my attention. I looked back to see the large wolf, blood dripped from its mouth, and a limp arm dangled between its fangs.**

**The woman stood twenty feet away. Her body was shaking as she gripped the stub of what was left of her arm. **

"**Brianna! Put it down!" I heard David scream.**

**He was now in front of me, his eyes a blazing blue. The wolf turned its large head toward David a growled, the fur along its back rippling.**

"**Bri, I said down! Now!" David responded with his own growl to match that of the wolf's.**

**The red wolf growled again, it's green eyes growing darker as it tried to stare down the dark skinned boy.**

**A lower pitched growl came from David in another response. "Bri, drop it." His voice came out in a hiss. The wolf shook and dropped the arm then stepped on it once it hit the ground. The woman screamed again, another pained and bloody scream. I covered my ears, but my eyes remained wide open. **

**The wolf seemed to smile, but then looked at me, and it's grin left. It turned its head toward the woman, who was now on the ground, withering in pain. **

"**Darby, get out of here!" I looked up uncovering my ears as David yelled at me. Before I could answer, or get up to run, a large cracking sound from behind me. I turned around to see a solid white glare. I covered my face and looked away.**

**My face turned to Chase, who had a hand wrapped around the neck of the man who had attacked him. **

**The next few seconds were a blur of color and noise. Sliver, blue, red, and white flashed around too fast for me to see, and before I knew it, all five of my companions, and the strangers, were gone.**

**I stood now, shaking, trembling from shock. **_**What had just happened?**_

**Looking around, there was nothing but the dark street, barely lit by street lamps, and the small moon overhead.**

"**Darby?"**

**I jumped; the sound of Chase's voice startled me. He walked out from behind a house near the sidewalk. His hair was shorter and mostly brown again. He looked down at my arm, and my eyes followed his gaze. Where Bri had gripped my arm, was a stain of blood. I stifled a yelp of surprise and looked back up at Chase. Fear, I was sure, covered my face.**

**He sighed, "I'm so sorry Darby. We thought they had left, but apparently they had not." He looked up at my face "Well now you know what we are not." **

"**W-What are you?" I asked gripping my arm.**

**Chase grinned meekly, "Well, not human."**

"**Wait?! What?! How are you people not **_**human?**_**"**

**I sat in a chair that was in the library of Chase's grandmother's home. Well, now I was standing, after I had asked my question. Chase and most of the group sat in front of me, either on the floor or in another chair.**

**Chase shook his head, "As I said, we just aren't, none of us here are. Except you of course," he chuckled lightly. "We are all, well, the best way to explain is…supernatural creatures. Things you would only find in fiction or fairy tales."**

**I was in shock, **_**what the hell was going on?!**_** I slumped back in my seat and held my head in my hands. "I must be going crazy," I mumbled to myself.**

"**Well indeed, you are not."**

**I looked back head back up at Chase. "I must be! First, I see all you… **_**people**_** with strange eyes, and now you're telling me you're not**_** human**_**!"**

**I was shouting again. Everyone glanced at one another then looked at Chase. He smiled and looked up into my flushed face.**

"**No you're not crazy, you're special."**

"**What does that mean?" I asked my hands in tight fists at my sides.**

"**You can see our true eyes, which normal humans cannot. You are some how able to see our real eyes. It surprised me yes, but I've gone through your memories. I've found nothing to explain this ability."**

"**My memories?" I mumbled.**

**Chase looked into my stunned eyes; the slightest flicker of a devilish smiled flashed across his face. "Yes your memories. Remember Monday? When I touched you? You may have felt a bit weird from it, but I assure you that I gave you no harm. I scanned your memories. Well the ones only you could remember; blocked ones I couldn't get into at the time."**

"**Blocked memories?" I asked dumbly, slumping back down into my seat.**

**Chase cleared his throat and kept his red eyes pinned on me. "Yes you have many blocked memories, but I cannot reach them with my powers alone, we'd have to take you to my lab."**

"**NO!" Tally shouted. I jumped in my seat. "No, she **_**cannot**_** go in there! I remember the last time any of us went in there. Drake came out with most of his flesh melted off." A sharp growl followed Tally's remark.**

**I looked at Tally with shock, she returned my looked with that of sickness.**

"**Maybe there's a good reason they're blocked. We need not know now anyway." Hattie spoke.**

**I was somewhat surprised. I had never heard her speak in fluid sentences before. Her voice was soft but still had an edge to it, she was very upset at the idea of Chase's lab.**

"**True," Chase agreed. "But I'd like to find out soon."**

**I shook my head and gazed at him, his red eyes thoughtful. "But how am I supposed to believe all this?" I asked, my voice sounding to desperate in my ears.**

"**You saw me as a wolf right? Isn't that enough proof for you?" **

"**So you **_**were**_** the wolf?" I turned feebly toward Bri as she glared up at me.**

**She sat comfortably in David's lap, and even though she was on the floor, she still looked so tall.**

"**Yes." She gave a large smile, and leaned back against David's chest.**

"**But how can that be?"**

**Bri cocked her head to the side, her green eyes shimmering. "I'm a lycan," she said plainly.**

"**Lycan?" The stranger had said that, said that we had one with us? He seemed like he was talking to Chase, but he had called him lord and **_**Lazzel?**_

**So many questions rumbled threw my mind. I clutched the side of my head and tried to focus on what Bri was saying.**

"**Yes, a Lycan. Ever heard of a werewolf?"**

**I gave a faint nod, still holding my head.**

"**Good, well, you know how werewolves change during the full moon, right? A lycan can change at will, the moon has no power over me anymore." She smiled and seemed proud of that fact.**

"**Are you all lycans then?" I asked, slowly pulling my hands away from my head.**

**A chorus of laughter erupted from them all. I stared wide-eyed. **_**What did I say?**_** They all quieted after a while and Bri started shaking her head.**

"**No, I'm the only lycan here. We're all **_**mostly**_** different."**

"**Mostly?" I lifted an eyebrow at her.**

"**We're all different creatures, but some of us have the same traits."**

"**Like me and Bri!" Taly said as she held up her hand to get a high five from Bri. Bri returned it, but the sound was much louder than a normal clap. It sounded like a tree breaking in half.**

"**What do you mean?" I looked back and forth between the two girls, rather confused.**

"**Oh, oh, oh, can we show her, huh?" Tally stood up, bouncing up and down.**

**Bri looked down at herself and mumbled something. I realized then that she was not wearing the same outfit as before the incident with the strangers. She had worn jeans and a T-shirt then, but now she was in sweats. Bri looked up at me and gave a faint smile.**

"**Sure, I guess, but you owe me a trip to the mall Tally."**

"**Yay, and fine whatever." Tally rolled her eyes playfully and hopped over to an open area of the room behind me. Bri sighed and stood, kissing David on the way up.**

"**Come over." Bri said, motioning for me to follow, and I did.**

**Bri and Tally stood face to face, but they had about five feet between them. Everyone else turned slightly, but were paying less attention, and started up in small conversations.**

"**All right then! I'll go first," Taly volunteered as she bent over slightly. A light grow emanated from her, then suddenly the change happened.**

**First a blackish haze seemed to seep over her skin and envelop her whole body, but as the haze grew around her it didn't take her body's shape. Instead, it took the shape of a large wolfish like **_**thing.**_** It was made completely of the black haze, but as it turned it's head toward me I saw that Taly's eyes were still there. It or rather **_**it,**_** had the same yellow eyes that had stared at me my first day of school here.**

"_**So, what do you think of me?" **_**A dark menacing voice spoke in my head but it seemed to come from a certain area to. It was Tally in front of me, but the haze creature didn't move it's lips, if it had any to begin with.**

"**I…I…I don't know what to think," I stuttered, taking severalsteps back. A low wall of chuckles and giggles started up behind me. I turned to see Chase staring nonchalantly at the black creature in front of me, then his gaze lifted to meet my own. His red eyes sparkled and dazzled in the faint light of the room**

"**Watch Bri now; she's impressive," he whispered.**

**I nodded and slowly turned back.**

"**Go ahead Bri, I won't stop you." I heard Chase say louder behind me.**

**Bri nodded and looked past me, I then felt a tense aura as David came to stand next to me. He crossed his arms across his chest and kept his icy blue eyes on Bri, then gave a nod.**

**Bri closed her eyes and tightened her fists into balls at her hips. I heard a faint cracking that soon grew louder. Bri bent over and a snarl ripped from her. I jumped at the noise. It sounded nothing like a wolf, but still held the menacing tone. A tearing noise, like ripping fabric, came next then an explosion of cracks and snaps and one long bony thing pushed out of the end of Bri's back. There was even more cracking as Bri's knees popped backward. I covered my mouth to keep from screaming at the sight. **

**I looked at Bri's face, which by now was a long muzzle. Her green eyes were glazed over as if she were in great pain. **

"**What's wrong with her?" I asked David.**

"**Watch, she's going slow-motion for you to see" he snapped.**

**I turned my face back to her and covered my mouth once again. Bri was now twice the size I had last seen her as her clothes were in shreds around her body. Long thin legs jutted out from her thin body. Her hands were now gigantic paws with steak knife long claws. She looked like a furless mutant dog, her long boney tail shifted back and forth. Then there was another snarl, this one deeper and more menacing than just her looks at the moment.**

**There was a red shimmer across her body, then out of nowhere, long dark red fur covered her body. She shook herself, sending a light scent of pine into the room.**

**It was an intoxicating but a truly lovely smell that made me remove my hand from my mouth. There was a faint chuckle next to me and I turned to David. His eyes were warmer now, warm like a cloudless summer day.**

"**Isn't she beautiful?" he mumbled to himself.**

**I gave a faint nod and looked back at the giant. It looked just like the ones in Bri's drawings. Perfectly alike in every detail. **

"**Wait a second," I muttered.**

"**What is it?" Chase's voice softly came behind me. **

"**Bri has drawings of a wolf like herself on her wall."**

"**Well they're sketches Bri has done of David and herself."**

**I turned to Kcie: "But you said they were a story of her's."**

**Kcie shrugged and blushed a little. "I lied," she admitted sheepishly.**

**Then another thing clicked. "Her and David?" I said, turning to Chase.**

**Chase chuckled, "Yes, if you haven't guessed by now, David is a dragon. Technically a were-dragon, like Bri he can change at will and not be tied to the moon's sway."**

**I looked at David, his icy blue eyes were back as he glared at me. "D-d-dragon?" I brought a quivering hand to my lips.**

**A light whine startled me and I turned to the wolfish Bri. She stood closer now and tilted her head to the side. Her green eyes, almost completely silver now, looked me over as another whine rippled through her thin body. She leaned her head down and touched her wet nose to David's ear. He laughed, and it shocked me, I'd never heard him laugh before. He turned slightly, took Bri's large head in between his hand, and kissed her damp nose. Bri returned the kiss with her long tongue, pulling it fully across his face.**

**David scrunched his face and wiped it off with the front of his shirt. "Bri! What the hell!" he shouted into his shirt.**

**A dark rumble started up from Bri, it sounded like laughter, and licked him again. She continued to lick at him, but it was a lighter softer licking. With her height, she looked like a large dog licking a very small child. Though David was well over six feet, I'm sure, Bri towered over him. Her large thin head was twice the size of that of a horse, and her tail was much longer than anything I'd ever seen. It swished around the room causing a heavy breeze. Bri still licked at David's face, neck and ears. Slight sighs and chuckles came from him.**

"**Enough you two, we don't need to witness your love life." Chase's tone was rather annoyed. **

**Turning back to Chase, I caught the orange eyes of Misty. She clung to Chase's waist, looking like a child there. I was taken aback as she hissed at me and wrapped her arms tighter around Chase's waist.**

"**Misty be nice. Why is it that only you and David dislike her?" Chase's tone was further irritated.**

**Misty turned her now worried orange eyes up at Chase and whimpered lightly. Chase stroked her head softly and then sighed heavily. "What am I going to do with you?" His words came softly as he leaned his head against hers.**

"_**Hey! I thought we were going to be talking about us?"**_** Tally's yellow eyes looked disappointed as she invaded the quiet.**

**A bark came from Bri as she turned and padded a few feet to the small black hazy creature.**

"**Yes, yes, that's right." Chase cleared his throat and pulled himself away from Misty. He stood between the large red wolf and the smaller hazy one, and then turned to face me. "As you now know, Bri is a Lycan, able to change into this wolf creature at will." He gave a short chuckle "She's got a wolf spirit already, so the disease of the werewolf is easily made more wolfish."**

"**What do you mean by disease?" I couldn't help but ask.**

**Chase seemed to ponder my question for a moment before answering. "The werewolf gene is like a disease, in many ways. It's a bit complicated, but I'll try to make it simple for you. Humans cannot be born a werewolf, or in Bri's case, since she contracted the disease and can turn at will, they can only be turned or infected. When a human is first bitten, the moon controls their lives completely. They turn during the three nights of the full moon, and are at their strongest then. And so are their weakest during the new moon. The werewolf disease also gives that person, eternal life, basically."**

"**Well why is it called a disease then?" The question came from David. His body was rigid and he spoke threw clenched teeth.**

"**Calm yourself David, I'm not calling your mate sick or infected. I'm going by how you'd medically look at it." Chase glared at David, but this did not seem to calm him at all. "May I continue?" Chase's voice grew very irritated now.**

"**Fine," David turned and sat back with the others that were still in their semi circle behind me.**

"**Thank you," Chase's glare did not ease until he looked back at me. "All right then, where was I. Ah, right, eternal life. Well, yes, it grants that, and to some that would be a curse, others a blessing; but most werewolves do not live that long, really. Bri here is the oldest I've ever known."**

**I stared, mystified, at the large red wolf. Her silver green eyes seemed full of pride. She shook again, and released more of her musky piney sent.**

"**Why does she smell like that?" The question came from my mouth before I could think it up.**

"**She's of nature, a pure living immortal of nature." He chuckled a bit. "Unlike our little demon wolf here." He turned towards the hazy black wolf that was Tally.**

"_**Demon?!**_**"**

**Laughs busted forth from everyone around me. I looked behind me for an answer for this laughter, but everyone ignored me and kept laughing. When they all finally calmed down, my face was completely red and burned.**

"**Hey, it is ok, Darby. We're just not used to human reactions and comments." Chase ran a hand through his long hair and sent a smile at me. "Yes she's a demon, a wolf demon in fact. That is what she means, by there being some similarities between a few of us."**

"**Oh," I looked back and forth between the black haze and the red wolf. There were some physical similarities, and of course, the wolf related part, but still they looked too different from each other. Bri's thin body was barely anything like the smoky body of Tally.**

"**Yes, well they're both of canine origins at least," Chase said, noticing my look of comparison.**

"**So, what about the rest of you?" I had to ask, now that I know all of them were so… **_**different**_**.**

**Chase chuckled, "Well I myself-"**

**My cell phone went off, interrupting chase mid sentence.**

"**It's my dad," I stated, pulling out the little phone. "Just a second."**

**My dad was outside waiting for me. It was late and he said he'd already been out there for a little while already. I sighed and said I would be out as soon as possible.**

"**I have to go now." I repeated to the group, placing my phone back into my pocket.**

"**No problem," Chase held his hands out in front of him, in an appeasing gesture."We'll continue this another time then, I'll see you to the door."**

**Chase placed a hand at the small of my back and led me out of the library. I could here cracking and popping as it seems that Bri was morphing back into her "humanoid" form. Once at the door, Chase made me wait a moment as he disappeared down a hallway and came back with my oboe case. I smiled then reached to open the door. Chase's hand came slamming down on the door and his red glaring eyes fell on me, startling me.**

"**Wait, I need you to swear to **_**NEVER**_** tell our secret, **_**EVER!"**_** Fire seemed to burn in his eyes, and looking into them burned my own eyes. "Swear, to us, please. We cannot be found out. Our lives are now in your hands, so please, swear you won't tell." He was pleading now, but his eyes still burned.**

"**All…all right, I promise, I swear." I looked away from him, my breathing turned hard and sweat beading on my forehead.**

"**Thank you," he whispered, lowering his eyes and hand. He reached for the doorknob and yanked it open for me. "I hope you had a pleasant time," he whispered again.**

**I turned back to him, hoping my faint smile was enough. "Yeah, it was… interesting, but you never told me what you are. What are you?"**

**Chase pushed a peace of my hair that was in my face, behind my ear and gave a soft chuckle. "Perhaps another time, you've had enough for the day." He was about to shut the door, but I stopped it with my hand, curiosity fueling me. "Please tell me, I really want to know."**

**He sighed, and peeked at me through the little opening of the door. "I'm a vampire." Then the door slammed close.**

**I stood there, facing the door, for a long moment. **_**Vampire?! **_**He was a **_**VAMPIRE?**_** Now more questions burned inside of me. Was he some sort of blood sucking creature from all those stories and books? Why did he seem ashamed of what he was?**

**I turned as my dad honked the car at me, it was slightly startling but I shook it out of my system. Running down the stairs then the walkway that led to the house, I looked back briefly then hopped into the car. The house was dark, no light came through the large windows that lined the front of the mansion.**

"**So how was your day? What'd you guys do here?" There was too much curiosity in my dad's voice for my liking and I blinked and stared at him for a second before answering.**

"**Um, we played a little on our instruments, and then walked up to a drive in burger place for some food."**

"**Oh? Well that sounds eventful, did you have fun?"**

"**Yeah, it was an interesting day." But of course I couldn't tell him **_**how**_** eventful it truly had been.**

"**When will your friend's parents be back, I'd like to meet them soon."**

**I sighed and gulped softly. "Well Chase is an orphan apparently; he lives with his grandmother, and other kids she's adopted."**

"**What? How is that? I thought he told you he had parents?"**

**I shrugged and looked out the window. "He hasn't come to terms with the facts, they say he's in denial or something about them. "**

"**Huh, interesting… So how many kids has his grandmother taken in?"**

"**Quite a few, I don't know the exact number, but hey, they have the room and money for it."**

"**What happened to your arm honey?" My mom asked as I walked in the front door.**

**I looked down at the bloodstained sleeve of Bri's jacket, which I still had on. "Oh, um..." **_**Damn I need a lie**_**, "they had a, uh, dog, and I must have gotten scratched without noticing." Well, that was mostly a lie.**

**My mom rushed me to her bathroom and pulled off the jacket. Pulling out alcohol she poured some on a cotton ball and dabbed at the cuts on my arm. I hissed as it stung.**

"**Never go near their dog again; these are bad sweetie, really bad."**

**I cocked my head to the side, "What do you mean?"**

"**Well look at these wounds."**

**I turned to look at my exposed arm and saw just how bad it was. There were four deep gashes on my upper arm. How had I not felt all the pain those should have caused? The only pain I remember was when Bri caused the wounds, was I too distracted, maybe?**

"**Sweetie, if you're going to get hurt, I don't want you over there anymore."**

"**No mom!" I shouted, now nervous that I wouldn't see them again, and not learn anything more about them. "No, it was an accident; I promise it will never happen again. I'll stay away from their dog, I swear."**

"**A good christen girl should not swear," my mother scolded me. She bandaged my arm and turned to look at me in the eyes, "You've made some friends though, this is good, but be careful." **

**I nodded, "I will, they are all very nice, and kind to me."**

**My mother smiled, "Well that's good, but be careful, stay away from that dog, if that's all it takes."**

"**I promise, mom."**

**She nodded happily and patted my arms softly. "Well, you're all set. You're lucky that it didn't bleed much. Do you want some pain killers, or ice?"**

**I shook my head, there wasn't any real pain, and I didn't want to waste anything on this.**

"**All right sweetie, well you should go to bed now." She kissed me on my forehead and left me alone in the bathroom.**

**I yawned and looked at myself in the mirror. I groaned. I was a mess. My hair was everywhere and my clothes were mucked up. How long had I been like this? Why hadn't my parents noticed? I rushed into my room and pulled off my clothing. After putting on some PJs I ran my brush through my tangled blond hair. Then it all flooded in…**

**I stumbled onto my bed as the day's events began to take their toll on my mind. **_**They're not human! **_**My words repeated over and over in my head. **_**Not human! Not human! Not Human!**_** The hazy wolf, the cracking of joints and bones, all noises, sights repeated in my head. How could they not be human? What was going on?**

**I pressed my fingers on my temples, and tried to think. "Okay, so they're not human, but that doesn't mean they're bad, right?" I mumbled this. "No, they can't be bad; they did save me earlier, right? From those weird people." **_**Wait, were those people not human either?**__**How can this all be real? How do they live in the city? Why are they here? Are they actually bad? What do they want with me?**_

**Even Chase had said that I was special in some way, since I could see their real eyes, **_**but what does that mean? Am I also some sort of bizarre creature as well?**_

**I shook my head. **_**No I couldn't be, I'm human, but they, they are animals**_**. What was I to do? They're my friends, but also creatures, and not **_**HUMAN!**_** Should I run away when I see them? Ignore them? Or continue my friendship with them?**

**I questioned myself until I finally fell asleep.**

**I awoke, the next morning drenched in a layer of cold sweat. Nightmares of black, red, yellow and icy blue eyes kept me tossing and turning all night long. Even though I had gotten a good amount of sleep, I felt even more tired than when I had gone to bed in near hysteria.**

**The hot shower water felt good on my skin as I turned in on high pressure. I stood there for a few minutes, just appreciating the warmth, letting it sink into my body and relax the tense muscles and joints. Soon my hand found their way to my soap, and I quickly washed myself, removing the memories and discomfort of the past evening.**

**I made today's breakfast light, with a Pop-Tart and a glass of water, I knew if I was too nervous, I would throw up. I asked my dad to take me to school early, while I sat across from him at the dinning table; he gave me an odd look, but nodded, putting his newspaper down after folding it up.**

**I grabbed my bag and my oboe case and followed him out the door a few minutes later. The trip to school was quiet, and warm in the car. I sighed when we got to the school, fear and excitement filling my thoughts.**

"**Have a good day, honey," my dad said as I jumped out of the new BMW my dad has gotten. I hadn't taken much notice to it last night. But dad had commented about it on the way to school this morning.**

"**Bye," I replied, shutting the door behind me.**

**My dad must be a good lawyer in order to buy such an expensive car. He also kept us all well of, and was never in dept. It was odd, most people would expect a child like me to be a spoiled brat, but I guess something went right when my parents raised me. **

**I shook off the thought of my family and headed for the band room. I was a good thirty minutes early and didn't expect anyone to be there, but I was wrong, like I usually am.**


	5. Wolves Love Dragons

o5. Wolves Love Dragons

The band room was filled with students; apparently, there was an early morning Jazz band class. As I walked into the classroom, I noticed that Bri and Kcie were in the class. Bri instead of her bass clarinet was playing a large baritone sax and Kcie had a trumpet instead of her French horn. I did not recognize the piece they were playing. I never really listen to jazz music, but I liked it any way. I stood near the back of the class and watched and listened to the rehearsal.

The rehearsal was done within twenty minutes of my arrival, and as they packed up, their music was replaced by a loud buzz of chatter. Bri and Kcie made their way over to me after their instruments were placed in their lockers.

"Hey Darb," Bri called, shortening my name awkwardly.

"Um Hi" I replied.

"So are you alright after yesterday?" Kcie asked in a soft whisper.

"Um yea" I said, not able to look in her eyes. She mumbled something, but I did not catch what it was.

I could feel Bri's sliver green eyes borings into me as she gave me a confused look. I sighed heavily and tried to look up at her, but I turned my head away as David came in. He instinctively wrapped his arms around Bri's waist and nuzzled his face into her hair. He stared at me heavily through her curls, not blinking.

"Hm, so do you want to come over again this weekend?" I heard Bri growl. David seemed to tighten his grip around her after she asked me.

"Uh, maybe, I might do something with my Dad", I lied; I did not have any plans with him at all. I did not know how to act around these people any more.

"Are you scared of us?' I looked over at Kcie as she asked in a soft, scared voice.

"No, I uh, just well" I gulped, what was I to do.

"You hate us now, don't you?" David's question caught me off guard, and I nodded once, but quickly shook my head.

"No I don't hate any of you," I said, looking into all of their faces. "I'm just in shock from all of it. It's just so hard to believe."

I heard Bri snort, and I turned towards her. "We are not that hard to believe in, we are standing right in front of you, aren't we?"

"Yes, but."

"But nothing," Bri interrupted, "We're real, we all may not be flesh and bone or have any matter to us at all, but you can see us, and know we're there, so we have to be real." She snorted again and crossed her arms across her chest.

"Yes, that's true, but it's still quiet unbelievable." Bri's eyes rolled at my answer.

"Look at this from her point of view, Bri," David spoke up. "She's lived in the human world all her life, and now we are forcing a whole new _kind_ of life on her. It will be hard for her to take it all in and understand it."

I stared at David in shock, he had never taken my side on anything and now he was defending me, against his girlfriend.

Bri snarled again and gave a light growl, and then David laughed. He kissed her lightly on the neck and chuckled, "Yes I know it's hard for you to think that someone could not just get use to us, being how you grew up.

"What do you mean?" I blurted out. Bri gave me a sly look, then turned her head towards David's and bit his ear. "Ow, hey I've got one hole in my ear, I don't need another." Bri gave her bell like laugh and then licked his ear lightly. I blinked a few times, a bit confused at what was going on.

David then turned his attention back to me, his face hard and his eyes cold. "What I mean is that Bri here grew up in a time when people believed in us, feared and even worshipped our kind." I lifted my eyebrow, just how old was Bri? "I was born in the year 444 A.D, one thousand five hundred and sixty four years ago this summer." Bri said, seeming to read my mind

"What?" My mouth was agape as I stared at her in shock. Bri seemed to puff herself up, as if she was extremely proud of her age. "Yep, born and raised in the over 15 centuries ago." She gave a toothy grin and seemed to fill with more pride, but that quickly turned to anger.

"Is something wrong?" I asked, she seemed to get angrier by the second. "Bri doesn't like remembering her past, gives her mood swings," Kcie whispered to me.

I quirked my head at Kcie, then turned to Bri. I could see that David was trying to calm her and was succeeding, a little.

Bri then spoke again, "You see, when I was _seventeen_, all those years ago, I lived in a small village in now a day Ireland. A barbaric and violet village, but still home. There had been many wars with other tribes and villages, and from those we got our slaves and prisoners of war and such." She took a long breath. "Well one night, I was to take water to a few of the slaves we had gotten recently", she paused then took another breath. "There was a full moon that night, so there were some festivities around the village. The noise from the partying apparently covered the screaming that was coming from inside the building where we kept the slaves."

"Well, I didn't notice anything till it was too late. It seemed that one of the people we had just captured only a few days before was a werewolf, and that being the first night of the full moon, he had turned.

"When I walked into the tent, what first caught my attention was the smell of blood. The sticky sweet scent burned my nose, but I was use to the smell; being a barbarian's daughter, blood was something I smelt almost daily, but it was odd to smell it now. The next thing I knew, I was on the ground and something hot and heavy was on top of me."

David tightened his grip around Bri's waist as her speech became a little shaky. He nuzzled her neck lightly and whispered something in her ear.

Bri gave a brief smile then stared her story up again. "I remember pain then, lots of pain, then screaming, then nothing" She gave a short pause then turned her face slightly away from mine. "After what seemed like an eternity in the darkness, I woke up in a dark room, but it really wasn't dark to me. I could see every detail of the stone room, as if it was daylight. I could smell the mice and hear them as well; I knew I could not have noticed this all before. All my senses and even my mind were sharper.

"I noticed then that I was chained to the wall that I was leaning against. I looked at the shackles around my wrists and ankles, and I was confused."

Bri paused and then seemed to wince before she continued. "I called for help, yelled out to see if anyone was there, but no one came. I began to cry, uncontrollable, I don't know why either, I was a barbarian's daughter I wasn't suppose to cry, but I did. I heard people thought, I could hear them, and they were right outside the walls of the building. Their voices were soft through the stone walls and but now hurt my sharpened ears.

"Normally you'd think, being the barbarian I would have struggled to get free, but I didn't. I knew something was wrong with me and that was why I was locked up in here. I spent days in that room, I never was given food, and I never saw a single person.

"I was in there for about a month, it must have been, because I began to feel the change, in me, one night. I felt the moon grow, it tugged on me and pulled the creature, that had been born within me, to awaken.

"It was painful, at first, but soon the creature in me took over. It is hazy, my memory of that night. I remember just bits a pieces, flashed of death and bloos everywhere; they blue, bright blue."

I lifted my head in surprise as David began to take the story from Bri.

"That night I found her, dying from many wounds. She was wild, but I had seen her kind before, and I saw something tortured behind her wild eyes. I could see that there was still the frightened woman in her. So I grabbed her, before another man could sheath his blade in her body."

"That's how we met," Bri said, smiling. David smiled at her and buried his face in her hair again.

"What happened after that?" I asked looking at them and wanting to know more of their past.

"Well…" started Bri, but then the bell rang. "Guess you'll have to wait, sit next to me in health and I'll tell you the rest."

I nodded, and then we all went about our business of getting our instruments out, and getting set up for band class.

Second period came quickly, just as I hoped. Though Bri spent the extra time we had going from band to health, talking with Chase.

When she finally came into the classroom, I was tapping my fingers on the desk, annoyed at waiting so long.

"Addicted to my words, are we?" Bri asked, and then started to laugh.

I almost nodded but held myself.

"Well then, lets see." She tapped her fingers on her chin lightly for a moment.

The teacher handed out a worksheet and told us to work separately and quietly, I groaned to myself, but Bri raised her hand and asked if she could help me out since I came in the class late in the semester. The teacher said it was alright and we moved to a couple of empty chairs in the back of the room.

"Ok," Bri whispered. "From what David has told me of that fist evening, and the next two that I was a werewolf, we were in an almost constant battle." Bri's tone got darker, and her whisper lower. "I woke up about three days later, according to David. He had taken my, in my beast form, all they way to Egypt."

"Egypt?"

Bri hushed me, thanking fully the teacher hadn't noticed my outburst.

"Yes Egypt," Bri replied in a harsh whisper.

"But how?" I whispered back.

"He's a dragon, I though we clarified that."

"So did he fly or something?"

"Something like that yes." Bri nodded to herself. "However, back to my story. I hadn't known that we were in Egypt at the time, I found that out later. I was extremely confused when I woke up. I was not use to the sand or heat, the dunes of moving sand kept my attention, so that I didn't notice the dark skinned man laying next to me; but when I did see him I was very frightened. Being from the far north, I had never seen a person with such dark skin before. I first mistook him as a demon that had come for my soul, since I knew I must have killed my village." Bri smiled weakly, but her eyes remained dark. "I got up and ran then, but he stopped me, grabbing me by my waist, he pulled me back down to the ground and pinned me there. That's when I realized that we were both naked."

I blinked in surprised as I felt my face flush and saw Bri's redden.

"I didn't understand him when he talked to me. I struggled against his grip, but her seemed to barley feel my increased strength. That's when the scariest thing happened, he pushed his head down so that out foreheads touched and then he growled at me. He bared his teach and growled at me, it was one of the weirdest and scariest things I'd ever seen in my life, but it got me to stop struggling. He let me go and got up, but I didn't try to escape again. I laid there and stared up at him. His blue eyes had me hooked and I couldn't look away from them. He shocked me then again by speaking in my own language of Gaelic. He asked me how I was, my name, and how I came to be a werewolf. I was very confused but answered his questions.

"He explained to me what exactly I had become, after I told him about what I could remember. Then he explained what he was and how he could speak my language."

"How could her?" I asked curiously pooping out the question.

Bri gave a short quiet giggle then looked around the classroom to make sure no one was listening to us. "Dragons have the gift of tongue, they can speak and understand and language they hear."

I stared wide-eyed, so there was much more to David then I thought.

She smiled lightly, then looked around again, I swear I saw her ear twitch. "Yeah, so from then on me and Davis were always together." She gave a truly, lovely, happy smile and looked at the worksheet on the desk. "Guess we should get to work."

I laugh, and looked at my worksheet to, then grimaced.


	6. Goddesses, Unicorns, and Elves, oh my!

_**o6. Goddesses, Unicorns, and Elves, oh my!**___

_**I spent practically all my Saturday at the mansion, and my head almost exploded with all the new information I was getting. Chase seemed bent on me knowing as much as I could about him and his family**_**.**

**When I first went over on Saturday, an old woman answered the door. She was short and bent over slightly on a wooden cane, with pure white hair pulled into a tight bun atop her head.. I took this kind faced woman to be Chase's "Grandmother". **

"**Oh, you must be Darby, I've heard so much about you deary." Her voice was high but dampened with age.**

"**Oh, um, you have?" I muttered.**

"**Mhm, I'm Chase's 'grandmother'." She made air quotations marks with her wrinkled hands as she spoke. Rolling her eyes, she pulled the door open further and ushered me in. "Now tell me child, do you know anything about the gods?"**

**I lifted an eye brow at the older woman as she lead me into the house. "Gods? What do you mean, is there a point to that question?"**

**She chuckled to herself and waved her hand. "Oh, nothing, nothing, I'm just being a crazy old bit. I'm sure Chase will explain it all to you later." She smiled at me and nodded her head. "My name is Rowena, no granny or anything, please just call me Rowena. Now, I'm going to go make lunch for everyone, go have fun with the others."**

_**Rowena**_**, I mouthed the name, it had an odd… holiness to it.**

**The old lady walked toward the kitchen, moving quite fast for her look in age. I wanted to help her still, but I got the feeling it would be a rude thought to help the woman make her way to the kitchen.**

**As I watched Rowena move, a slight creaking noise made me come back to focus. I turned my head to look up the grand staircase just as Kcie's bedroom doors flew open. Blurs of black, red, blond and silver burst forth from the room and flew down the long staircase.**

**Then instantly, right in front of me was Chase and Hattie. They stood there, both with a sword in hand, standing about twenty feet from each other, they began to circle one another. Their swords were held out in front of them both their red eyes focused on the one in front of them.**

"**What's going on?!" I yelped as I fell back against the front door.**

**Hattie and Chase both turned to look at me, at the same time. A wide toothy smile grew across my male vampiric friend's face, while Hattie remained blank and still.**

" '**Ello Darby," Chase said, his red eyes dancing with amusement. **

**I stared at him blankly, just a simple 'ello was what I got for seeing this display of irrational… onslaught? **

**Chase's smiled broadened, "Sorry if we freaked you out, we were just having a bit of fun."**

"**Yeah, fun with my toys!"**

**I looked up instantly to see, what appeared to be a white column of light, I blinked, then there stood Kcie, dressed in all white as normal. She seen like she was going to cry, her white eyes seemed a bit grey. Then Chase snorted and I turned back to him. **

"**You know as well as I, that we cannot use **_**my**_** weapons, so your human blades will have to do, I'm sorry Kcie."**

**Kcie's dark face reddened and she slumped back into her room. Then something shocking happened, Hattie began to laugh. She had always been so quiet and emotionless, but here, now she was laughing hysterically.**

"**Brother, don't be so rude, she loves her weapons like children, plus we took them without asking."**

**Chase rolled his eyes, and then dashed up the stairs after Kcie.**

"**That's right you two are siblings," I said more to myself than actually to Hattie.**

**Hattie glanced at me, her face stern again. "Technically we're half sibling, we share the same mother, but fathers were great and many in our childhood, still our birth fathers, were very different from each other."**

"**Different?" I mumbled, scared of her bored yet over whelming dark red eyes.**

**Hattie smirked, her cold red eyes brightening. There was a loud snapping noise, and a gust of wind. Then what looked like to be wings, busted forth from Hattie's back. Jet black in color, the wings stood about thirty feet from tip to tip, and they weren't even fully stretched out!**

"**My father was an angel, our mother a vampire, no one really knows about Chase's father, or what even he was, not even our mother."**

**I quirked an eyebrow at the winged vampire, "Kcie said Chase's parents died, so doesn't that mean your mother's dead?"**

**Hattie began to laugh again, then tried, and succeed to calm herself. "No, that was another lie, invented to keep us all safe from humans, our mother is very much alive back home."**

"**Home, so she's not here with you?" So they were all lying to me still. This annoyed me. What else could they be hiding from me? What other statements had been lies?**

"**You alright? You look upset," Hattie asked, her emotionless face back.**

"**Yeah, Yeah I'm fine."**

**Hattie nodded and tilted the blade in her hand. It glittered lightly in the pale light of the room. It was rather long, and even had a two handed hilt, which Hattie only held it by one.**

**A Bang, and then the sudden yell of **_**CHASE!!!**_ Made me jump. I twisted around to see a pair of dark black eyes glaring down at me. My heart seemed to stop in my chest, the black eyes and blood red hair filled my vision. A hard lump grew in my throat as I saw his jaw tighten.

"What is it Drake?" I heard Chase's voice in the distance.

"What is_ he_ doing here?"

I blinked a few times, and glanced over Drake's shoulder, then gasped. There standing a few feet behind Drake was a shorter boy; but there was much more than just his eyes that were weird. 

The boy stood about my height, if not a little taller. He was really skinny, like a normal teenage gangly type, and his looks contrasted so much with everyone else's. Everyone looked like models, all perfect in their looks, his boy looked rather normal, except for that fact that he was pure white, not as in Caucasian white, but bleached white. His hair was the same white and fell around his shoulders in uneven layers. He had soft golden eyes that looked too old to be in his young body.

"Yo, Justice." Chase stood over the balcony and waved at the bleached boy.

Justice smiled and waved back. His name fitted him, as I looked him up and down.

"What is he doing _**HERE?!**_" Drake's voice strained and I flinched.

"Now, now Drake, Justice is our friend, and welcome here, I don't understand why you can't just accept him."

A low pitched rumbling came from Drake as he opened his mouth. Tons of long pointed teeth lined the inside if Drake's mouth, he pulled back his lips and snarled at Justice and Chase. Next instant, Drake was pinned to a wall with Chase's blade pressed against his throat. I wheezed as both guys growled at one another, till Chase pressed the blade further into Drake's neck. Drake quieted, but kept his death glare on Chase.

"My gods man, calm yourself," Chase snapped. "Take a chill pill and go for a walk. The male vampire pulled his sword away slowly and watched Drake as he made his way to the kitchen. "I'm sorry about that Darby; Drake is a little touchy about certain people."

I could feel my eyes water slightly as I looked over at Chase. 

"It's ok Darby, it has nothing to do with you, Drake is extremely competitive."

"Com-competitive?" I glanced at the bleached boy and noticed his cheeks were flushing pink.

"You may not believe it, but both Drake and Justice, over there, compete to gain Bri's affection."

"But what about David? They've been together for so long?"

Chase gave a light chuckle and walked over to Justice. "These guys won't give up," he said placing a hand on the bleached boy's shoulder. "They like her a lot, in different ways though. They know Bri is with David and has been for a millennium and a half, but they still think there could be a chance for them. Chase padded Justice on the back lightly, but the skinny boy fell forward, his whole face bright pink.

I felt bad for the boy, as he stood, laughed to himself and dusted off his pants; he was going against two others guys, one that was already with the woman he likes.

"As long as Bri is happy me being around, I'm staying. His voice was light and rolled out of his mouth like the soft rumbles of a horse. _What is he?_

Turning his golden eyes toward me, he smiled. "Hello, I don't' think we've been introduced, my I ask your name?"

I stared at him, speechless.

"Um, are you alright miss?"

I shook my head and tried to clear my thoughts. "Yeah, I'm fine, sorry. My name is Darby."

He smiled again, "Well miss Darby, it's nice to finally meet you, I've heard a lot of you." His soft golden eyes sparkled as he spoke. "Do I look weird to you?" His smile turning sly.

"Um, oh, well, uh… yeah," I confessed, I couldn't lie to those eyes.

He laughed a little and gave a bright smile. "Would you like to see why I look this way in my human form?" He smiled wider as he waited for my answer.

I looked at chase but gave a quick nod. Chase nodded as well, as if in agreement. With a yip, Justice grabbed my hand and began to run. We went through the kitchen, were I saw Rowena at the sink, but pulled out a back door before I could really look at her, she seemed different than just a few minuets ago.

Justice finally released my hand once we were out side in the large back yard of the mansion. There was a huge green house; I was surprised I hadn't noticed it from the front of the house. It had a high roof and even taller trees poked through the ceiling of it.

"We're going in there," Justice pointed to the massive green house as he spoke. "Bri might be there and I want to see her as well." He grinned boyishly, his red face blushing again.

He jogged up to the big door leading into the greenhouse and a gush of warm air met us as I followed him. The inside of the greenhouse was so diverse. There were many different types of plants, from tropical fruits to normal vegetables.

"Hey Darby, Justice, what're you guys up to?"

I looked around at the familiar voice but found myself staring at someone's stomach. My eyes moving up, I saw… Katy? The face was her's, but she was even taller than before, and her hair was a paler brown, almost a golden silver.

"K-Katy?" I stuttered, starting up into her mossy green eyes.

"Yup, it's me; guess you haven't ever seen a real woodland elf huh?" She giggled and bent over to retrieve a watering can that was on the ground.

"N-no, I haven't, elf?" I panted.

Pulling herself back up, Katy smiled and brushed her pale hair from her eyes to behind her pointed ears. "Can't you guess?"

I felt my eye twitch, "Elf… But, aren't elves tiny, and don't they make toys and such?"

Katy gave me a crooked grin and then laughed. Sighing he placed hands on her thin hips and smirked. "Don't believe those type of things, that's pure nonsense, there are many types of elves, though none that are tiny. I'm a woodland elf, and woodland elves are like trees, we grow tall and strong." She grinned brightly and looked past me briefly. "Justice if you're looking for Bri, She's taking a nap on one of my weeping willows in the center of the garden." Katy frowned at the boy and pointed her chin toward a path that seemed to go further into the forest-like greenhouse.

"Oh, thanks Katy, but I wanted to show Darby here, well me, since everyone else has had a turn to show off to the human."

I gazed at the bleached skin boy and he patted my arm. "You wanna know right? Humans are curious, right?"

I responded with a slow nod and Justice grinned. He took a few steps back from me and Katy, and with a brief glace at me and Katy he turned and his pale skin began to glow. He grew brighter and brighter until the lightly finally began to dim down. I pulled my hands from where I hand placed them over my eyes, and sucked in a breath. Standing before my now was what appeared to a pure white horse. It's golden eyes looked over at me and seemed to be full of joy, then I noticed it. It had a horn, a white pearl colored horn that spiraled out from the center of hits head. It was smooth and curved up slightly. The same white hair came down in a long unkempt main a tail. The horse like creature brayed softly and lifted one of it's thing but sturdy legs. It's had cloven hooves, each one pearl like, just ass the horn. 

"Justice?" I asked holding out my hand, and trying to reach the large animal.

It walked forward, its body looking so frail. The horse's nose brushed against my hand and it felt soft like velvet on my skin.

"He's a pretty boy isn't he?" Katy stepped forward and stood next to me.

"Is this why he has white skin?" I asked, my hand running along the soft feather like fur of the unicorn's neck.

"Yes, he's not so good at _not _being a unicorn." Justice snorted and pawed at the ground.

"Unicorn… I thought, well even these might be myth."

"Every myth has its foothold in some truth," replied Katy her mossy eyes dancing in the green light of the greenhouse.

The white animal in front on my brayed and its own golden eyes were soft and warm as they watched me carefully. Hw was purely lovely, every part of him. The soft white fur covered his body to the tip of his tail where it flamed out like a lion's.

He whined, which caused me to jump, I had been so absorbed in looking at his body that I barely noticed that he wasn't looking at me anymore. His eyes were on something behind me. Pushing past me and the tall elf, the unicorn trotted to whatever it was that he'd been looking at. My gaze followed him as his slender horse form silently made its way to touch noses with a giant red wolf.

"Hey Bri, you done with your nap?"

The large wolf's thin head nodded up and down, its green eyes flashing with the normal amusement Bri always found. Then her eyes diverted back to the unicorn in front of her.

"We should leave them, they want to talk, _alone_."

I looked up at Katy her normal light brown hair back, and her height greatly reduced.

"So why does Justice like Bri so much?" I asked as we walked out of the large greenhouse. 

"Long story," Katy said dully.

"Oh? Um, ok then." I didn't want to press further if Katy wasn't willing to tell.

"He loves her, probably more than David does actually."

"More?" I looked up at her, wondering how that was even possible.

"Part of their history, still a long story. In short, David hurt Bri, cause a great many depressed, enraged, suicidal moods for the poor girl. Justice then came into her life, help her pick up the broken pieces of her heart, and while doing so he fell in love with her. But in turn hurt her over something and so Bri returned to David after he begged her forgiveness."

I pulled my eyebrows together in confusion. "That's a long story in short?"

"Mhm, the whole real story would be to long and complicated to explain yet understand."

"What about Drake, why does he want Bri?"

"Drake and David were friends before David went to learn in Africa, and when Drake first saw Bri, it was love at first sight I guess you could say. But from that first moment Bri fell in love with David she has always only wanted him, so I really don't get why those two keep trying even after all this time. Though David doesn't deserve a woman like Bri. Katy's voice was harsh and cold when she lastly spoke of David. She reached for the door into the house then grumbled something before turning the knob.

"What?" I looked up at her face, which was now contorted with anger.

"Nothing, come on, lunch should be ready by now. If now we should help Rowena out a bit."

I nodded bur I still wondered why she was so angry.

Rowena was at the open and was waiting for the timer to go off, by the looks of it. There was a vast assortment of different foods on the long kitchen island. Most of the food was platters of raw vegetables and meat. I remembered last time I had been here during their lunch. Bri and a few others had eaten the raw meat claiming that they ate it for heath reasons. I'm guessing the "health reasons" were actually the fact they're not human.

"So what's for my lunch Rowena?" Katy asked as she walked up behind the older woman.

Rowena turned away from the oven and smiled up at Katy. "Does a strawberry smoothie and mango salad sound good to you love?"

Katy nodded happily and seemed to get really excited at the idea of what she was going to have for lunch.

"Just fruit?" I wondered out loud, but I was heard.

"I can only eat fruits and vegetables, anything else can make me very sick." She winked at me and hoped on to the counter next to the oven.

"So does the same happen to Bri and David if they eat other things than meat?"

Katy kicked her legs up and down. "Well no, they are omnivores, just like normal people, but raw meat tastes far better than anything else to them." She turned to Rowena and looked at the oven. "What are you cooking? I don't think any of us actually eat _cooked_ food."

Rowena turned to face me and grinned, the old woman wasn't there anymore. I stumbled back slightly and gasped. "I hope you don't mind, I'm just making you a quick steak, I'm sure though that fruit and veggies are ok for you." The woman was young now, no wrinkles, younger looking eyes, but her white hair remained.

She smiled brightly, "Well you must be having nonstop surprises, my goodness you're going to have a heart attack." She giggled, "Well I'm sorry for both me and the kids; but I cant help being what I am."

"An-and what are you?" I stuttered.

"Rowena, I don't think it would be a good idea for you to tell her anything, she comes from a christen home, so it will jar her to hear something like this. Plus she's seen horny boy, and I think that's enough for today."

The young woman nodded at Katy, "Alright, perhaps later then." She turned back to the oven and opened it to check the inside of it contents.

I stood there, vexed and confused. Now they were saying that they were telling me too much?! Hadn't they already completely told me that none of them were human, and that secret was now mine to keep. I leaned back against the counter, my head feeling light and a bit dizzy.

"Something wrong Darby?" Katy asked coming to stand in front of me.

"No, I'm fine it's just…" I paused.

"Yes?"

"Well all of this, just, its so much and its so hard to believe in any of it."

"How so, you see us, and you're calm about it. Chase was right in saying that you're special, though I bet he still wants to run test on your brain."

"I looked up at Katy as she stared to giggle. "T-tests?"

"Don't worry, we'll make sure he never gets the chance to take you to his lab."

I stared at her but didn't get any further of an explanation, because the kitchen was then almost instantly filled with the mass of the house. Hattie and Chase were arguing about something as they sat down, Drake glared at Justice as he walked alongside with Bri. Kcie and Tally came in singing something that I could only guessed might have been Japanese. Everyone came pouring in, even the younger looking dark skinned dancing girl from last week.

The room was bustling with noise and commotion as everyone tried to find a seat along the vast kitchen island. Katy had me sit down before everyone else, we sat in stools which really didn't help the height factor on my elf friend. I looked over the table spread and at everyone's faces. There was one certain face I didn't see and it came at a slight relief.

David wasn't there, Bri was, but thank goodness he wasn't, though I wondered were that blue eyed boy was. While I finished my scan of the group, a hush came over them all. Chase stood at the head of the island and waved his head for silence. His red eyes seemed darker than normal and his face was frozen in an emotionless manner. I was a bit frightened at this look, but no one else seemed effected.

"Well I assume most of you know this by now, but I'll repeat. The latest news, as of recently is that, we've basically been found out. Not our home of course, but they know a large mass of supernatural creatures live in the area. They first attack has been made by their side."

I saw Bri tremble and shifted slightly, from the corner on my sight. I shifted to look at her and I saw that she was beginning to cry, she then turned and buried her face in Justice's shoulder. I was confused and wanted to ask what was wrong but Chase began to talk again.

"I'm sorry Bri," his voice was low and soft, barely audible. "Don't worry you'll have your chance to avenge his pain, these hunters can't be too far away from where they attacked him."

There was a sharp hiss that erupted from several of the members sitting at the counter, then a loud band as someone stood up and the stool fell over.

"Why do the Hunters choose now to attack us? Or why even at all? What have we ever done to them? Why do we deserve to die, in their eyes?" It was the go-tee black eyed boy. I'd never really heard him speak and I wondered if he held any rank in this "family" like chase or Bri.

"Nick please, don't be childish, we all know why the hunters come for us; except…" Chase tuned from Nick to me. "You don't know anything about this Darby, well does out Hunter expert want to give details to out friend?" Chase looked past me to Drake.

Drake's face was hard and his eyes were cold. "Fine, she should know I guess, if she is to hang around for a while."

Chase seated himself, and kept his eyes firmly on Drake.

"Well I guess I should start with the history of the Hunters. The Hunters are basically a clan, they started as really any clan does, with a goal, only their goal is to rid the world of all supernatural creatures. They are very religious, sticking strictly to Christen beliefs, mainly also to the thought that humans are the highest beings and tat no other creature can threaten that. So they call us demons a hope to kill us all to purify this world. This goal had mutated though over the centuries, to not just killing us to purify the world, but purify this world to bring the end of the world.

"This, though, all started in Italy, near Rome, ironically enough. Though the group had started in the later three hundreds, they only started to grow really in the fourteen hundreds. And there is some rumor that Cesare Borgia, in his madness, helped build the clan. But with research, I found the rumor false.

"When the French attacked Italy the clan fled to England and from there they spread. We do not know their numbers or where their leaders are located, but what we do know is that they try to justify their killings so holy purification." Drake snorted and closed his eyes, but then flashed them open again. "They hunt us, and that's the problem, that's why its vital you do not breath a word about us to anyone. In their eyes we are demons, that need to be sent back to hell."

There was a low growl, Nick was still standing and now his teeth, pointed sharp canines, were showing. _What is he? _His eyes flicked toward me. 

Drake continued, "We have tried to hide from them, but they always seem to find us one way or another. You see Darby a family like ours is unheard of, so I guess we make ourselves a target. Never before have so many immortals or supernatural creatures been together, so really its no surprise we keep getting found no matter where we live. But Rowena tries her best to keep us hidden.

"If you have not been told yet, Rowena is a goddess."

Katy sighed next to me, "Does no one listen."

"As I was saying," Drake flicked a glance at Katy. "Rowena is a goddess, the Celtic trinity goddess of pagan beliefs."

"A goddess?" I looked around the table then back at Drake. "How am I to believe that? Even with seeing her, and all, I believe in only one god, how can you just bluntly say that's she's a goddess?"

"Every god and goddess is real, as long as they have or had followers, people who believed in their existence, they are real. That's all region is, as long as there are people believing in it, it will exist." He looked at me coldly, and I flinched. "That's what irritates me about you humans, you only think about your own life, what you believe in, and that's all that matters, automatically everything else is wrong and you are right." From there Drake stood and stormed out of the kitchen.

I felt ashamed and embarrassed, as well as over whelmed. A flicker of movement, and then the whole group began to eat the food in front of them. Though Chase didn't eat, instead I saw him lift a glass of think red liquid. Instantly my stomach dropped and my mouth went dry, and for some reason I felt angry.

Chase had told me what he was, and I knew what he was drinking, but that knowledge was making me angry to such a degree that I couldn't explain it. I didn't know why I was getting this sudden urge of rage, and I scared me.

Hisses and growls rang up and pulled me from my gaze at the red liquid that the vampire gulped down.

"Darby," Chase asked, "Are you alright, you reek of anger." Chase's red eyes softened and looked concerned. 

I shook my head and replied yes, he smiled at me and nodded.

"Ok everyone eat, enjoy yourselves a bit, Bri you are excused to take care of him."

Bri nodded and left the room, Justice in tow.


	7. Vampire Blood

o7. Vampire Blood

The sounds of food being chewed and liquids being gulped, were all around the table. It was a frenzy of food eating. The only ones calm about there consumption was Chase and Hattie. The chatted with each other, and drank from their glasses of dark red liquid. Kcie, though, just wandered around the counter picking up food from random plates, but no one seemed to mind. She came past me and smiled, her white eyes glittering.

"So whatcha eating?"

I turned and looked at my food that Rowena had placed in front of me. "I guess, just what most others are." Indeed, like Rowena had said, I had a cooked steak, like Bri's normal raw ones, and nicely there was a Cesar salad on the plate next to it.

The white eyed girl smiled at me and turned to walk further down the counter. I watched her eat, she would slip the food in her mouth, but I never saw a chew or a swallow.

Lunch seemed to drag on, since everyone was more into filling their bellies than talking or anything else. I thankfully ate the food I was given and made sure to thank Rowena for the extra effort she had put in this meal just for me.

Bri came back, her eyes red a puffy, but her appetite in full tack. She ate a lot, a lot more than normal. Was something terrible happening to her, or maybe it was to David, didn't Chase say earlier that there was an attack by these hunters?

Slowly, people began to peel away from the counter and head out of the kitchen. Rowena picked up the dishes and platters from the empty seats. She placed the dirty dishes in the sink, when I saw her turn I could see that her stomach was enlarged, as if she was now very pregnant. But how could she have gotten so large in the past half hour or so, was this part of the "goddesses" thing.

I jumped when Bri gripped my arm. She looked at me with blood shot eyes, so whatever was wrong, was really hurting her. Justice stood close by, his once soft golden eyes were now dark and saddened. I could feel his worry for Bri, his feelings and their connection.

"You eat enough then Darby?" Bri's voice was harsh and shaky, probably from her crying.

"Yeah," I replied, I felt my chest tense as Bri wiped her eyes from the forming tears. "Bri, are you ok?" Well that was a dumb question.

Bri gripped Justice's pale hand and nodded, "Yeah, I'll be ok, its David though…" She trailed off and looked out the window.

I turned to Justice, perhaps he had an answer.

The pale boy read my expression perfectly. "Hunters attacked David last night, it was pretty bad, it took a lot of strength from Chase to keep him from dying."

"Dying?" I stood, shocked that something like this could be happening, they were immortal, weren't they?

Justice put is hands on Bri's shoulders as she tried to control her sobs. He pulled her from the room and waved goodbye at me. I was now left alone in the room with Rowena, and she had busied herself with cleaning dishes. How could she be a "goddess"? I couldn't understand Drake's explanation, if she was a goddess, and if every god or goddess exist, then did my God truly exist as thee God, or was he just another creation like Rowena?

Again I got that angry feeling in my stomach. Rage bubbled on the edge of my vision and made it so I could only see red. A cool hand fell upon my shoulder and the heat of the red rage diminished and fell back to a smoldering coal in the pit of my gut. I turned to see Chase there, his red eyes dark and barring a threat.

"Darby calm down, why are you so upset?" He was stern as he spoke, like he was truly commanding me; a command that, if unheeded, would lead to terrible consequences.

"I'm fine," I replied, though I knew that I wasn't.

"Come, take a walk with me," he said as he retracted his hand from my shoulder.

I followed Chase out of the kitchen and kept close to his side in the hall. The vampire led me up the grand stair case in the entry hall. From the balcony the main hall looked much larger with its white walls, and the contrast of black borders.

The spiral stairs that were on either side of the grand stairs weren't there this time, and I looked up to see that they were pulled up into the ceiling. As I followed Chase, he flipped a switch on a wall and a large rumbling made me look back up. The spiral stairs came down from the ceiling, twisting till they hit the floor with a thud.

"Where are we going?" I asked as Chase began to climb one of the stairs.

"I'm taking you… somewhere interesting," he replied.

"But what's up here?"

"There are more rooms, than what are just on the main and second floor, since there is so many of us."

"Does Justice live here?"

Chase turned back and cocked his head to the side. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I haven't seen him here before, so I just wondered."

Chase shrugged and continued up the stairs. "Justice lives with his own family. There's a small herd of wild unicorns that live near the Cascade mountains."

"Is there a difference between unicorns and _wild_ unicorns?"

I heard a small grunt, that I was sure came from Chase. He stepped onto the last step and reached for my hand to pull me up to stand next to him. "Wild unicorns can't change form, they are pure, untainted by anything. So they always maintain their animal instincts. When Justice became friends with us, when he fell in love with Bri, he became tainted, and with that tainted-ness he has become more human than unicorn."

"But why does he love Bri then? Why does both Drake and Justice love her when she is with David?"

Flicking a switch that pulled the stairs back up Chase turned too me, then looked down at his own feet. "Lycans, or rather werewolves attracted members of the opposite sex. They produce a hormone that brings others to them, it was an evolution in the 'disease' to help create more of the species. But it only attracts 'dumb' or rather, none too bright creatures." The vampire gave a meek frown before turning down the hall till he reach a small doorway at the end of it. He pulled it open and there were more stairs.

It was dark, but Chase pulled me by my hand up the flight. I felt my skin prickle with goose bumps, Chase chuckled. "Come on you are ok… for now."

What did he mean by that?

The long haired vampire stopped once again when he reached the top of the stairs. There was the sound of jingling keys and quick whispers in some other language and then the sound of a creaking door opening. Chase led me into a dark room and for a moment I couldn't see anything. With a click, lights turned on and laminated the bizarre room. On wall, there were many selves with many different jars, bottle, and vials, on containing some sort of liquid, or an object suspended in liquid. There was a long table with beakers, vials, and tons of weird looking things I could never put a name to.

"What is this place?" I shivered and pulled my hand from Chase's to put it over my mouth.

"This is m lab," he stated plainly. Walking over to a fridge, Chase pulled out a clear bag that was filled with dark red liquid. He tossed the bag on the counter top on the table. It made a sickening splat sound as it landed.

There was a label on the bag, and I read it out loud, without realizing it. "_Product: Cloned Human Blood, Blood Type: B positive_."

"I make cloned blood here, for myself, some of the family members, and for sale. Its my, business, you might say."

"You clone blood? Why?"

"Because there are some of us that would rather not kill humans to feed our selves." I looked up at Chase, his brown hair gone, replaced with the floor length silver and gray. His red eyes copied the color of the liquid in the bag.

"Why are you showing this to me?"

"Because, you should know every aspect about us."

"Why, aren't you putting yourself in greater risk by telling me all this?"

He gave a low laugh, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

"What, what did I say that was funny?" Was he playing with me or something?

Darby you're special, how and why I don't know, but indeed you are a very special being."

"What has that to do with this?" I was getting irritated, he was beating around the bush and avoiding my questions.

Chase reached out and grabbed the bag of blood from atop the counter. "Darby, you can see our eyes, no other human in all of history has had that ability. I don't fully understand your gift and it makes me a bit uneasy, so by telling you about us, giving you the full picture about my family, I can be sure - that if you gift is ment to harm us - you have a choice, you'll know us and know that we aren't all that bad. Plus its safe enough to tell you." I watched Chase toss the bag back into the fridge before he pulled out another. This one he simply held up to show me, but its contents was darker, almost black.

"But how does telling me make you guys safer?" I asked as I read the label on the new bag. _Product: Cloned Vampire Blood._ Vampire blood?! He also clones vampire blood?

"Well even if you told anyone all this, they'd think you're nuts, except of course if you came upon a hunter." He half smiled then bit off a corner of the bag before beginning to suck down the liquid. "Darby are you ok?" He asked, noticing me starting straight at the bag in his hand.

"It says, Vampire blood…"

He nodded, "I should explain then." He gulped down the rest of the bag and tossed the empty sack into a utility sink on the wall. "I can't live off of human blood like other vampire. Its too weak, to simple to keep me satisfied. Without my own species blood, I'd become a mindless creature, bent on constant feeding."

I stumbled back against the door, why was I here? I remembered that everyone had warned me not to go in here, not have Chase bring me here. Tally had once even said Drake's skin had melted off here. Why was I here then?

I looked up at Chase's darkened eyes, they were distant and full of distaste. He cocked his head at me, his silver hair shimmering in the artificial light. He reached for me, his clawed hands coming closer to my body. All I could think was _RUN! _

I tried to run, run from the fear and anger bubbling up into my eyes, but I was too slow. Cold hands wrapped around me, pulling me tightly into utter darkness.

"I told you, bringing a human here is a bad idea, not only for us, but now for her as well!"

Drake's words hummed in my head as my eyes began to flutter open. I was laying on a long couch in the library. Chase, with Misty on his arm, stood on the other side of the room. I looked up, Drake stood over me, his eyes full of anger and hate as they fixed themselves on me.

"But she's different from other humans, like Chase said. Maybe she's not fully human." Justice's soft voice came from the end of the couch where my feet were.

Drake snapped his head up to glare at the pale boy. Justice flinched and turned to Bri who stood behind him. "What do you think Bri? Do you think she should stay? Do you think she'll be safe next time she's alone with Chase, in that hell hole he calls a lab." Drake's words were acid that dripped from his mouth. I could feel the tension in the room building as Drake focused his glare on Bri and Justice

"I didn't do anything to her, and like I would to." Chase's voice was gentile but full of stress and tension.'

Drake flashed his face toward Chase, both their hard eyes met. "Like you can keep that promise!" There seemed to be both anger and pain in his voice, and is cracked as he spoke.

"Drake , calm down please, you know your temper gets way out of hand, let's at least let Darby go home first." Bri's voice was chilled and still shaken, but she seemed better than before. "Can you walk Darby?"

Now all eyes were on me. I didn't know if I nodded or shook my head, but I stood all the same. Two sets of arms came up to both sides of me and held me up as I was about to fall. Katy and Tally Stood there, giving my small grins of courage, though their eyes held pity. They practically dragged me along as we made our way slowly out of the tense library.

"What happened?" I mumbled.

Tally shifted my weight, and grunted. "Chase said you were freaking out, then fainted as he tried to calm you, but thank the gods we all noticed you two were gone, if you had been alone with him for much longer…" she shivered.

"What?"

"Tally, we should sit her down, I don't think she can go home like this."

I was seated on the bottom stair of the grand stair case. The white walls didn't glitter with their normal brilliance, instead they were dull and grey.

"What time is it.?"

"Only about three," Tally replied while sitting next to me. "You were out for a long while, how are you feeling?"

I tilted my head to the side and shrugged. "Fine, I think."

"I really don't think so, maybe you should rest a bit before going home, here lets take you to my room." Tally stood and held out her arms for me to latch on to.

Going up the stairs, Both Tally and Katy were dragging me again. My legs felt like jello and I could barely feel them. They hauled my into a dark room, its smelt musky, but had warmth.

Though my head felt light, I still noticed the detail of the room. It was like the inside of a hunters cabin. Furs were scattered all over the floor and bed. A Few heads even hung from the walls. There was one wall, like Kcie's room, that held many different types of weapons. I stumbled over something hard, and looking down I saw a huge bone, it was cracked and had teeth marks of a dog's on it. But I was pulled to the bed before I could ask about it. Demon _wolf_, I remembered.

The bed was soft and all three of us sank deeply into its furry warmth. The animal pelt I sat on had warmth to it, like the animal that once wore it, still did.

"Do you like that? It's a werecat pelt."

I looked at Tally, my fingers intertwined with the fur. "What's a werecat?"

"A humanoid cat-ish creature, not a pleasant thing."

"How'd you get it?" I asked, running my hands through the soft dull fur, then leaning back on the warmth.

"I killed it."

I shot back up, "You killed it?!" My head swam for a moment and I fell back on the bed.

"Yeah I killed it, I'm a hunter by nature, its what I do."

"Wolf demon…" I mumbled.

"Yep, half wolf half demon. I'm true to my nature." She was full of pride in that fact, but it made my gut hurt.

"Tally she needs rest, so lets let her." Katy was in a commanding voice as she leaned over me.

"Aw but if she wants to know, why not?" Tally begged, almost like a puppy.

I leaned up on my elbows, "Why not, another story could distract me a bit." My head was hazy, but I thought I could manage Tally explaining more about herself.

"Cool!" Tally clapped her hands and pulled the warm werecat pelt over her legs. "Well to start off, my father was a demon and my mother a simple grey wolf. I don't remember much of them but I do know they were good, to me at least. When I was very young I met Hattie and we became friends."

"Wait did you loose your parents?"

Tally frowned and looked at her hands.

"Oh, I'm sorry." I yanked my body forward and placed a hand on Tally's. "I shouldn't have said that."

She shook her head and gave a meek smile. "It's fine, Hattie and I were playing in my den. It was a hot summer night, it hadn't rained in weeks, but it was cool in the cave. My mother was out hunting, and so it wasn't odd for my to be without her, since my father had left nearly after birth. While we were playing, and odd smell floated into the cave and we went out in search of what it was. In front of us, we saw that the forest was burning. I ran into the forest to look for my parents, but the smoke nearly killed me. Hattie saved me and took me back to her family." She sniffed and held my hand tightly. "When I went back to the destroyed forest, I found the burned remains of my mother close by our den. She had almost made it home before the fire had killed her.

"Since then I've been with Hattie and Chase, and they have been like a family to me, even supporting my odd little habits." She grinned and patted my hand. "You see, I'm the greatest thief that ever lived, a trait my mother had said I got from my father."


	8. Opened Eyes

_o8. Opened Eyes_

_Drake had been given the job to drive me home, seeming as I still couldn't walk well or go without stumbling over something ever few seconds. The whole way to my house, he grumbled, annoyed at the prospect of driving a weakling human around. I felt kind of bad for him having to drive me in my own car, but I was more annoyed at his grumbling than feeling bad for him. Once pulled into my drive way, Drake was out of the car and opening my door in a flash._

"_How're you getting home?" I asked as I stumbled from my car and closed my own door._

_Drake shrugged and headed for the side walk._

"_You're not going to walk all the way back are you? Its like twenty miles."_

_He turned back to me, his black eyes ablaze. "For your information, I'm going to fly," he snorted._

_FLY?! _"What are you Drake?" I mumbled.

"Why do you need to know? Why is it you need to know everything about us? Why don't you just go back to your own life of humanity and leave us the hell alone?!" His words were full of rage and left me dumbfounded.

"I, uh…. Um…." I leaned against the car and blinked at Drake, not knowing how to answer.

"Oh never mind you pathetic thing." He ran down the side walk and jumped into the air. All at one Drake seemed to explode, white bones ripped from the boy's flesh, till there was nothing left that I recognized as Drake. This skeleton creature spread wings of bone and black skin and rose high in to the sky, and far out of site. I watched the thing till there was nothing but the cloudy sky overhead.

"Darby?" I jumped and turned, my dad stood on the porch with his eyebrow raised. "You coming indoors sweetie?"

"Yeah sorry dad, I was… day dreaming."

"Its ok, just make sure you turn off your car before coming in."

The car was indeed still rumbling, and as I looked through the window I saw the keeps still in the ignition.

'Hurry up sweet, dinner is ready and we need to talk."

I looked up at my dad through the windshield and pulled the out of its place. _Talk?_ Had I done something wrong.

It was just my dad and I tonight, my mother had tryouts for a play the city was doing. Dinner was pizza, and I could tell my dad had actually made it because it wasn't burnt or discolored in anyway, plus it tasted a hundred times better that the stuff my mother tries to put together.

"So what was it that you wanted to talk about?" I asked while literally scarfing down my second piece of pizza.

"Well, I'm happy you've made some friends here sweetie, but since the move, we've hardly had any family time, we've not even talked all that much, and your mother and I are a bit worried."

"So you want to like, have a family game night or something?" It wouldn't be so bad to hang out with my family, but with the three of us together for a long while, it would be annoying. I remember the trip up here from Florida, dad though it would be a great idea to drive the way, see the sites and what not, but we all turned out angry and frustrated with one another when we finally reached our destination; we were all ready to rip each others head off.

"Oh no," he chuckled. "How about this, you and I go bowling tomorrow?"

"Bowling?" That was odd of my dad to ask. I knew my dad liked to go bowling, he was even on a team but in Florida, but never had he ever asked me to go bowling with him.

"Yeah lets go bowling, just you and me." He gave me his goofy grin and scratched his balding head. "So how about it?"

I thought about it, bowling could be fun, and with my dad it most defiantly would be. "Alright," I replied, nodding as I finished off a third piece of pizza.

Bowling with my dad did turn out fun. He was very good, and helped me on my own lack of skills. We had our own lane to our selves, and so quickly ran through two games. We were starting our third game, and I was getting very tired and sore from tossing the heavy ball down the lane. I was wishing it would be over soon, but my dad was talking of doing yet another game. He was happy playing this game, and it was fun seeing him like this.

I watched my dad as he through strike after strike, and realized that he was not all that old looking. Sure he was balding, but all the men in my family started to bald in their like mid twenties. However, my dad was forty-four, but he didn't look it much. He was fit, from going to the gym, and he ate well enough. I've never known him to have any major physical problem, so he must be very healthy.

I was beginning to enjoy myself a bit more, until a familiar voice caught me off guard.

"Yo Darb!"

I turned to see Chase standing just two lanes down from me. His blood red eyes held an amused look as he strode over to my dad and I.

Bri, Kcie and Lindsey were in tow. This was really only the second time I'd seen Lindsey, and like my first day at school, her eyes kept flashing random colors, in a continuous rainbow effect. In her arms though, was something I never expected. She held a small black kitten that had gray stripes run horizontally across its body.

"Hey guys, what are you doing here?" Chase's gaze turned from me to my dad, but then back to me as he answered me.

"We like to go bowling, Bri and Lindsey here are on the school team.

"Oh?" I looked back at Bri, her eyes still blood shot and her rubbing her reddened nose.

"So are these your friends?" My dad's hand landed on my shoulder.

"Um, yeah, sorry dad, this is Chase, Bri, Kcie, and Lindsey."

"Oh, so this is Chase, nice to finally meet you, Darby has spoken a bit about you."

"Dad!" I yelped at him, I may have spoke of Chase a few times, but he didn't need to know that from my dad, nor did I want him to know.

Chase chuckled and held out his hand to my dad. "Well Darby is already a good friend of ours, Mr.?"

Taking Chase's hand, my dad smiled. "Cacciatore, don't tell me you haven't even asked Darby our last name yet."

Chase's eyes darkened, but he shrugged. "Yeah, guess it never came up, but I'm sure my family here would like to go bowling now, it was nice meeting you." Walking away from me and my dad, Chase's hair flashed sliver but returned to its normal brown and gray.

"What was that dad?"

"What was what?' He cocked his head and grinned at me."

"Telling him, that I've talked about him at home."

He chuckled, "Don't be embarrassed."

I huffed and looked over at my friend who had stated to bowl. "Can I go over to talk to my friends?"

With a sigh my dad nodded and I hugged him. "I'll finish this game, then we'll head home."

"Alright then."

I went and sat between Lindsey and Kcie. "Come to join the party?" Lindsey commented.

"Yeah," I smiled and looked down at the mewing cat in her arms. "Why are you carrying that?"

"Him?" Lindsey lifted up the grey striped black kitten and grinned. "This is my familiar, Seph."

"What's a familiar?"

The muti-colored eyed girl giggled lightly and petted the kitten's head. "A familiar is a source of power for a witch, its stables our powers and keeps us centered."

"So you're a witch then? How?"

"What do you mean how?"

"Well I mean, aren't witches like ugly or weird, and wear black and such. The cat makes sense, but you don't look like you could be a witch."

Lindsey nodded then shrugged. "That's a stereotype, plus I'm only seventeen and am still in the beginning of my training."

"So you're not like the others, your mortal right?"

"Yes, They'll live forever, or what ever, I'll die much sooner, but that's a thing to be happy for."

"Why, wouldn't you want to live on with your friends?"

"No living forever isn't right, its not natural no matter the species. Its all wrong, just like this family."

"How is the family wrong?"

"Most of us shouldn't be even near each other, we should be trying to kill one another. Why do you think Bri went nuts when you guys were attacked by that clan of vampires? She can't be near a vampire without going into a killing frenzy, yet she can stand the four that live in the house."

"Vampires… right…" I looked over at Chase, he was placing his long fingers into the holes of the ball. A vampire, one that drank the blood of his own kind.

"Do you understand what I'm talking about?"

"Huh?" I turned back to Lindsey and blinked. "Um, no not really."

Lindsey sighed and placed her kitten on her lap. "Werewolves to begin with, were originally were made by Gaia, a Earth Mother goddess, to destroy vampires. They are one of the few creatures that have the natural power to do so. And so, vampires want nothing more than to kill werewolves in return, or in Bri's case, lycans."

"So wait, if Chase and Hattie are both vampires, than who are the others?"

"Ugh, well you know Chase and Hattie are half breeds right? Well there's Tori, who's also half vampire, and then the only full breed we have is Misty."

"Is Tori the dark one I've seen only at they house?"

Lindsey nodded and stroked the little kitten's head. "Yeah, she is young and has yet to reach her prime, and then halt aging all together."

"Ok… I'm not too sure how to respond to that…"

The rainbow eyed girl smiled and patted my arm. "None of us expect you to understand any of this, let alone respond to it well. I guess, in the end, we all just love to talk about ourselves." She giggled and looked up at Bri who was finishing her turn now.

"Is David still hurt?" I asked hoping that Bri was doing better than yesterday.

"He is ok now, even with Chase and Katy's advanced healing abilities, he came close to death many times. And it took hundreds of pleads and begs to get Bri away from him so he could heal in peace and quiet." Lindsey sighed, "Him being attacked has put the whole house on edge, I think it was good to get Bri and the rest of us out of there."

"So is any one with David now, or is the house empty?"

The witch gave me an odd angry look but then turned her eyes down at the yawning kitten in her lap. "Katy stays near by to help him it he gets worse. And a few are still home to watch over the place, that house is never empty." She said it all sternly and stood for it was her turn to toss the ball down the lane.

Bri sat next to me but I could bring myself to talk to her. She did look better then before, probably since she was doing something she obviously enjoyed.

When Lindsey once again sat by me I brought up something she had previously said to me. "With the house being on edge, isn't it already that way with house you have creatures that want to kill each other?"

The witch grinned and lifted an eye brow at me. "I see you've been really thinking about this, and yes, it is. Things like a elves and unicorns don't go well with vampires and demons. But with one of use getting attacked, it worsens everything, Chase even gave us all a curfew, can you believe that." Lindsey rolled her eyes and shook her head. "And then we can't go out of the house alone, we have to use the 'buddy system', ugh…" I stifled a laugh and tried to keep a stern face as the woman before me complained about these new rules. She began to play with her kitten's eyes and it mewed in protest. "Ugh, Kcie how do you put up with this?" The multi-colored eyed witch looked over my shoulder at the dark girl behind me.

"Well I just do," she giggled, and began to kick her legs under the chair she sat in.

"Is it worse for you?" I asked, turning in my seat to look at the white eyed girl.

"Eh, kinda," she piped in her high pitched voice. "With things like demons and the living dead, its kinda annoying for me. You see, I'm an angel." The last part she said as if it was the most common thing in the world, to declare that you were an angel.

"An angel…?" I blinked and shook my head. "And yet you live… with demons…" I stumbled over the thought then looked back at the dark girl. "So do you have like wings, and a halo?"

"No silly," she giggled. "Not all angels are like that, we are not all humanoid in form and body. You won't understand until I show you I see, so we'll have to have a time where you can see my true form."

I sat there agape at that girl, stunned by the easiness she stated all this information.

Kice smiled, but then turned the subject of our conversation around. "So your last name is Cacciatore?"

"Um… Yeah its like Italian or something." I sat back in my seat and cocked my head at her.

"Really? That's odd, I've never heard of such a last name."

"Oh, well most of my family-"

"Hey sweetie, ready to go?" I turned to see my dad standing over me. "Come on we'll stop and get a milkshake before we head home."

I nodded. "Um sure dad, that sounds good." After I said goodbye to my friends and gave Bri a hug, I ran after my dad as he headed out of the bowling alley.

The afternoon was cool, trees were already far into their color change, but it was nice for this place during this time of year.

"Your friends seemed nice, are they good and nice to you?" My dad looked across the top of the car once we reached it and gave an approving look.

"Yeah they are, they're all good people, and a lot of fun to be around."

"Well that's good, I'm glad you made friends so quickly, I was worried when we pulled you from your old school so early in the year to move here. I thought you would be more upset about the move, but I'm glad you're taking it so well."

"Well it was unavoidable with how you and mom are, I'd never had a say in moving, but still, I'm beginning to really like it here."

My balding dad grinned and unlocked the car.

The milkshake's sweet coldness froze my throat as it went down, and cause me to feel tired at the scenery went lazily past the window of the car.

"So any plans for next weekend sweetie?" I pulled my tiring eyes from the landscape to look at my dad in the driver's seat.

"Eh, no not really, at least not yet. Do you want to do something again?" I took a swing from my shake, vanilla, the sweet simple-ness of the flavor.

"Well yeah, if you can pry yourself away from your friends."

I rolled my eyes, "Dad, come on, I don't spend that much time with them, plus we had a good couple hours before they showed up." I took another drink of my shake and watched my dad, he seemed to get a little down. Sighing, I reached over and shoved his shoulder. "Come on, don't worry about it, we can do something, what ever you want old man."

The balding old man grinned and shoved me back. "Ok, sure, how about a movie?"

"Yeah, sounds good." Yeah a movie with my dad could be fun, and now he was happy, that's good.

It was my third week in my new town, and it was just as weird, if not more so, than the previous two had been. Monday was like the annoying beginning of any other week, but for some odd reason, most of the family did not show up to school. None of the ones I normally saw in class were there, and lunch was fairly open. The only ones who seemed to have taken the thought to actually come to school were Tally and Katy, and even in our Japanese class they were distant.

"Where is everyone?" I finally asked when the three of us were alone at the lunch table.

Katy shrugged and looked over at Tally.

"Don't look at my, like heck I would know, much less care." Tally snapped and glared back at her elfin friend.

The tall moss eyed girl rolled her bright eyes and laugh before turning back to me. "I don't know either, they weren't home this morning and so far no one has come in to school."

"Well, where could have everyone gone?" I munched on a carrot and looked between the two for answers.

Again the elf girl shrugged, "Sometimes family members disappear for a few days, though this great amount has me a bit worried. And even if it had been, like, a whole house disappearance, why leave without us? Tally do you have any ideas?" Katy bit into an apple and cocked her long face at the demonic woman next to her.

The wolfish demon girl glared at the both of us, her yellow eyes flickered in both annoyance and anger. "I don't know, but it pisses me off that no one told me or is telling me anything now, about what is going on. Really, we could be of use to any plan Chase has, and if there was or is danger, wouldn't it be better to tell us? And so what if there was a fight? I could go all demon, and you could go all bow-and-arrow-magical-ness on their asses." Tally's speech was odd, but passionate in how she felt about being basically abandoned.

Shaking her head the leaf green eyed woman turned to me again, nibbling her salad now. "They could possibly be out on some sort of errand that didn't need us, I mean, do you really an elf and a wolf-demon for everything?" The shield, I realized Katy had put up, was beginning to dissolve and I could hear the anger straining in her voice.

"Hm, this does seem odd though Katy," I commented. "Let's change the subject then, Katy I heard you have healing abilities, how does that work?" I got an odd look from both the girls, probably since my question seemed out of the blue.

"Um, well, I have magic in my blood. Just like Lindsey in a way, however, when it comes to Lindsey's kind, they have the dark side of magic living in them, as with elves we have more of the light side of magic. Following?"

I shook my head, but Katy continued anyway.

"Well either way, what type of magic is in your blood doesn't make you good or bad, its how you use it that makes you good or bad. Sprites and fairies have light magic, but they are evil and annoying little creatures." She thought for a moment, biting her apple again. "My magic is focused in two categories, healing and weaponry."

"So you use magic to wield weapons, why? Can't you just use them without magic?"

Katy laughed lightly and rested her head on her hand. "Darby, you have so many questions, and we would all be delighted to tell you the answers. But know, what we tell you is only the tip of the iceberg, there is so much more to us and creatures in our world, that you may never know."

I leaned back slightly and sighed. "I realize that, sort of, but still you have told me only a bit? This still seems too unreal," I leaned forward, and looked straight into those mossy eyes. "I still want to know as much as you're willing to tell me."

Katy smiled and patted my cheek, "Then, you will."

Still no one had showed up at school when it finished. I stood with Tally outside in the courtyard after the bell had rung to release the teenage peoples unto the world.

"What up Tally?" I asked, rubbing my arm where she had grabbed me to drag me outside after school.

"Do you remember the night you and the other were attacked?"

I nodded slowly as Tally's pupils grew and shrank in their yellow background.

"Good then, at least they didn't scare you off."

"What's going of Tally, did something happen?"

"Not yet, but something might."

"What do you mean?" I was getting tired of her riddles.

"Well… do you remember all that happened that night?"

"Um, well I remember that Bri went a bit nuts and changed forms for the first time, and then Chase was fighting with one of the others, but mainly there was weird noises and blurs of colors and light."

"Ok so the important stuff, well something does seem to be up. Chase talked to me last-"

"Wait how did Chase talk to you, he wasn't even here today."

The yellow eyed woman gave me a confused look. "Do you not know how we talk amongst each other?"

I shook my head, getting even more annoyed.

"Ah shit… I thought at least Chase would have explained it to you."

"Explained what, what is it?"

Tally sighed annoyingly and closed her eyes. "We can talk telepathically with one another, Chase did it to all of us to have us stay in contact. But that's not the problem right now." Her eyes flashed open and they darkened to a burning ember. "Another coven came into town, only a small one, but it was enough to send Bri into a rampage across town to hunt them down. An apparently only me and Katy were left behind, ugh…"

"But why?"

"Well Katy for David, to help him still, and me to watch over you."

"Me, but why, am I in some sort of danger?"

Tally shrugged, "I don't know, but Chase is getting rather irritable, so it's best to follow his orders, no matter how annoying they are." Tally looked around the nearly empty courtyard and sighed. "Well I need to be heading home now, I'm apparently needed there now, take care." She patted my arm and smiled briefly before running to the side walk and up past the school building.

I watched her, until she was out of sight past the school. _Best to go home then._

My evening was spent in a lot of thought, new information had to be sorted and filed rightly in my head. _Magic, telepathic creatures, new vampires. _So much to think about now.

Falling on my bed I stared up at the ceiling, as if it was going to explain anything to me.

A soft knock pulling my from my thought organizing, and I looked up off the bed to see my dad wonder in.

"Hey sweetie, done with your homework?"

"Yup," I nodded.

He nodded in returned and looked about my room nervously,

"What's up dad?"

He shrugged and made his way over to my desk. He picked up the leather bound book he had given me when we first moved here.

"You have this out?"

"Um, yeah, I have yet to place it somewhere."

"Hm, you should look at it before you put it away." He tossed the book next to me and left my room.

_Well, that was odd. _I picked up the book and sat up, opening the little clasp on the cover. The pages were a mess inside, some not even bound to the spine. "What's so important about this book?" I flipped through the pages, it was filled with sketches and notes on the sketches. I remembered looking at this book after my first day of school, since all my new friend's eyes were so weird and scary.

The book was alphabetized. And I flipped to the W's, there were many odd creature drawings and the notes about them were weirder than the actual drawings. Stopping on the V's, I saw the face of a man I knew. Long silver hair, and the narrow face of Chase looked up at me, the picture was down in black ink, but Chase's red eyes looked up at me, from off the page.


	9. Mind's Kiss

o9. Mind's Kiss

The pictures were weird. E's, an elf with mossy eyes; D's, back hazy creatures with yellow eyes, large winged and wingless lizards. _What is this book? _I left my room and headed up the stairs to the living room, where my dad was watching late night television, all the while, a sickly feeling traveling up my arm from my hand that held the book.

"What is this book, why is it so weird, why am I getting this eerie feeling from it?"

He smiled, an odd smile I didn't know and he patted my hand that held the book out to him. "Don't think too much of it now sweetie, just go to bed."

I stared at my dad, but he gave no inclination that he would go any farther with this book tonight. Turing back toward the stair case, he called to me.

"Your cousin is coming up to visit."

"Which one dad, I have like a million cousins." Which was true, back in Florida I lived near all my family. I had tons of first, second, third, etc. cousins that lived near our old home.

"Your favorite one dear, Sean."

"Sean's coming here? Really?" I had nearly forgotten my family since moving here and meeting Chase and the others.

"Yup, he said he misses playing with his favorite little cousin. So he's planning a trip to come up here.

"Really?" I looked off into space for a moment, remembered my two year older cousin. It hadn't even been a month since I last saw him, and already it seemed like he was part of a past life of mine. He had always been my closest friend and family member, but being here had made me practically forget him. "When is he coming?"

"This weekend, don't make any plans with your friends." He waved his index finger at me and I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, ok then."

I sat on my bed, _Have things been going so crazy that I forgot even Sean. _My cousin had even been there to see my family and me off when he were at the airport before coming here. Why had we come here anyway… I had asked my dad that several times since we moved to the opposite side of the country, but always I got the same answer; 'Work is better here, and it's a nice change of scenery.' What did he mean by that? He was a pretty good lawyer back in Florida, and we were well set off there. But I guess my dad really did just want a change, maybe living with our whole family so close by was getting annoying for him.

I lay in bed, watching the ceiling, memories from the past summer came up as I thought about Sean. We always had hung together, and during the summer we had had a lot of fun. But there was one thing that had bothered me then, that now bugged me as I remembered it. This past summer, for a few weeks, Sean and few of my other cousins had gone to some sort of camp I had asked my parents to go, but they had said I was too young to go, plus I wouldn't need to ever go, that was confusing.

But, eh, at least my cousin was coming here to see how we were. I couldn't wait till he came and we could hang out. Though, I'd need to keep him away from my new friends. I had promised to keep their secret safe, plus I don't think my cousin would think the whole situation sane if he found out about them all.

As always, Bri, David, and Kcie were in the band room. The blue-eyed boy was on crutches and looked more angered than ever before.

"Hey guys," I waved at them as I crossed the empty band room to the trio. As I came closer I could see the Bri was injured to, though not nearly as bad as some of the wounds David had. She had several cuts and scratches, like claw marks, running along her arms and face. All her wounds were an odd shade of purple, and as I stood there in front of them, Bri shrugged and sighed.

"Its vampire venom," she said, annoyingly, like she was ashamed to admit it.

"Vampire venom?" I dropped my book bag to the floor and shook my head. "So are they poisonous?"

"Kind of, they carry it in their mouth and claws. When you're attacked by one, the venom either kills you or you become one of them, another infectious leech."

"But you're here, you're still alive."

The green eyed lycan shook her head and growled softly. "Just because of what I am, I am the natural opposite of vampires, so I have some immunity to their poison."

David's hand rested on Bri's cut arm and he watched her face. "Calm, be calm, you know you shouldn't have gone after more vampires than you could take care of."

A sharp smack, and David lay on the ground blinking up at his beloved. He looked surprised, but mostly scared at this enraged wolf.

"Don't you lecture me you hypocrite, you went after a hunter on your own and almost died on me!" On the verge of tears, Bri seemed almost ready to shift forms here in the class room, instead she dashed out of the room, silvery green eyes filled with salt water.

"Bri wait!" David called after her, but she was long gone. "Damn it, I always do that."

I turned back to look at Kcie, but she looked as shocked as I felt. "What… Is she going to be ok?"

Kcie looked thoughtful for a moment then looked back up at me. "Yeah, she's shifted and is running toward the house."

"How'd… Right the telepathic thing."

"Yeah, sorry, does it creep you out? It's a handy thing though, help us all stay in contact even if we are all far apart."

"Damn it, I'm out of here!" David stood, his ice blue eyes blazing. He wobbled out of the class room on his crutches.

I nearly laughed, but the dark skinned boy shot a death glare at me before he escaped out the door.

Once the door closed I began to laugh, even angry, it looked goofy to see him run out of here with his crutches, nearly falling over himself. I turned back to Kcie, she wasn't laughing at the spectacle, instead she was looking me up and down, looking confused and bewildered.

"Um, is something wrong Kcie?"

The girl with pure white eyes brought her hand to her chin and tapped lightly on it, drumming her fingers softly. "Something seems different about you, but I don't know what."

"I don't know what you are talking about, everything is as it normally is." I turned about, looking down at my clothes and my hands to see if there was anything off about my attire or self.

"Hm, Darby tell me something, I'm a bit curious. When you see us, you can see our real eyes? Not the ones you should be seeing because of the disguises we put on? Is that all you see of us?"

"Uh yeah, I guess. I mean, I can see that your eyes are really weird. Pure white irises that blend in perfectly with the whites of your eyes, then you have pitch black pupils."

"That's all? Hm, Chase is wondering if you can see anything else beyond our eyes."

"Beyond? Um, no just all of your crazy, odd eye colors. Why would he think that I could see more than that?"

"I don't know, its apparently been on his mind lately."

" Um ok then."

Later that day I was in the school bathroom. Fifth period, English class, and here I was staring at myself in the mirror, Chase's question through Kcie came to mind, could I see more than their odd eyes, what did that question even mean, what else could I see? I sighed, why was I thinking about this? Why could I even see them in the first place?

As I re-entered my English class, two black eyes glared up at me.

"What took you so long?" asked the irritated red hair boy.

"Why do you care?" I snapped as I seated myself next to him, since our seats had been changed around like they normally were every week.

He snorted and crossed his arms over his chest, he turned his scowling face toward the window and glared out it with no purpose. Drake was very irritable today, more than his usual cranky self.

"What the hell is wrong with you? What did I do to deserve your anger?"

The black eyed boy glared back at me. "Why do you care?" he mocked back at me.

I rolled my eyes and decided it would be better not to answer his obnoxious attitude. I returned to the writing assignment I had started before I had gone to the restroom. Over the next few minuets, the tension between the rude boy's body and mine, lessened, so much so that I looked up briefly to see what he was doing or if he was still even sitting next to me. He was, but he just sat there looking out the long window at the darkening cloudy sky. Birds flew past, crows, their black wings seeming light compared with Drake's pitch black eyes.

"What do you think I am?" asked the boy, as his dark gaze fell back to me.

"Um… I don't know, I can't even guess."

"Can't you? Do you has any thought onto what I may be?"

I huffed, "Rude, obnoxious?"

He chuckled, and looked down at the desk. "No, I ment what I am, as a nonhuman."

_The bone like, skeleton creature, that had ripped itself from Drake's body. _"No, I don't know, but… you're not alive are you?"

Drake shook his head and leaned over till his face was within only a few inches of mine. I felt no breath from him, he wasn't even breathing at all. His features were so much clearer being this close to him, his long nose, thin lips, all of him too over bearing with his eyes of endless absence of color.

"I'm the remains of a dragon, nothing but bone and rotting flesh."

"A dragon, like David?"

Drake pulled away and shrugged his shoulders. "Almost, David is fully alive, with flesh and blood."

"Then how come you're not?"

"An accident. You probably don't know why everyone is afraid of Chase's lab, the reason is me. I was a normal dragon, fully alive and plaguing human kind. Until I met Chase and his family. Back then I was cocky and arrogant, and even though I had been warned not to go near the laboratory Chase kept in the castle we lived in there, I went in. I spilled some chemicals on myself and it began to melt my own flesh off my body."

"What?!" I clamped my hand over my mouth and looked up at my teacher who glared over her glasses at me. I turned back to my assignment, sweat pooling on my forehead.

Drake chuckled again and leaned forward on the desk. "Anyway, I was dying there, it being my foolhardy fault. Thank the gods that Katy was living with the family at the time. In the last moments of my life, she sealed my soul to my skeleton, keeping me here instead of moving on to the next life."

"So Katy saved you?"

"Yes, she has great healing powers, or with me, sealing powers." He smiled, a rare thing, and it caught me off guard to see it from him. "You see our real eyes right?" What color are mine?"

I blinked at him and licked my drying lips as I thought of an answer. "They're black, deep and endless, nor iris or pupil difference."

"That's because I am fully dead, I don't need anything to keep me partially alive like Chase and others like him. I am truly of the dead."

Fear of this statement coursed through my veins, making me want to flee his gaze. But also I felt pity for Drake, He had gone through a torturous pain, to only be the skeleton of a creature he had shown me. Now I also realized the hatred he felt for Chase, the burring pain he must feel at loosing his own flesh.

Sighing the boy closed his eyes and laid his chin on his arms. His human form looked tired and stressed. How could this boy be the creature of bone and shadow I had see that past evening. Pity over came the fear, and I felt the need to touch him, to give some sort of comfort to this disturb being. But again, would he be too pleased with such an act? I decided to go back to talking.

"So Katy has good healing skills? I know she healed David after he was attacked."

Drake didn't open his eyes, but he did answer me. "Yes Katy has magical abilities, and she uses it mainly for healing and weaponry."

"Right, she told me about the differences in magic and some stuff about it."

"Good, less for me to explain." He opened one eye, and even though he had no pupil or iris I could tell he was looking at me. "Don't get mixed up in magic, it may seem cool or fun, but there is a dark side. No matter how one uses magic or if its light or dark, it has terrible outcomes if used wrongly or for the wrong reasons, it is not ment a a toy or play thing."

I gulped at his warning, and nodded at the dark red haired boy.

"You coming over to the house this weekend?" he asked, both eyes open and watching the clock above the class room door.

I shook my head this time, "No, I have a cousin coming up to visit my family and me."

"A cousin, from Florida right?"

"Yup, my cousin Sean. We were really close back there."

"Hm, so you're not coming at all then? Good, we have finally have some damn peace around the place finally." He snorted, still not looking back at me.

I glared at him, "Why are you always so rude, especially to me? What did I ever do to you?"

The black-eyed boy hissed, "You came into our lives, our home. And what do we know about you? Nothing. I don't understand why everyone is so trusting of you, why they all want to befriend you, and why Chase wants you so influenced into our group. For all any of us know, you could be some sort of hunter. Trying to worm your way into the group to find a way to destroy us all.."

Drake's words were sharp, ment hurt me, and they did

"So that's what you truly think of me?" My voice was a whine, but I turned my face downward, away from his face.

"I, uh." He seemed slightly surprised, but returned to his original harshness. "Yeah so what, I don't trust you at all. You're a human at the very least-" His voice cut off, and his hand gripped at the table, veins and muscle seemed to pop out of his skin, though I knew it wasn't real. His face was hard and rigid. His eyes closed tight against what ever pain appeared to rack at his body.

"Drake?"

His eyes burst open, but they were no longer their endless black. They were glazed grey, as if something was sucking the darkness from them.

"Drake?" I grasped his hand and looked over his face. I couldn't ask the teacher or anybody else for help. Drake wasn't human, nothing they could do could help him. No one was noticing us in the back, but it was only a mater of time till some one looked behind them.

Drake's other hand shot up and gripped my wrist. His cool hand strong, yet weakening every second. Bones rippled under the skin of his human body.

His began breathing, in tortured gasps. I was starting to panic, I didn't want anyone to see him like this, they wouldn't understand, nor could they help. Drake's lightening eyes looked at me, trying to focus on my face, as if it were miles away from him. His face moved closer to mine, until his thin trembling lips pressed themselves against my own. For a split second I felt the rough coldness of this mouth, until my head began to whirl and I found myself in a dark room.

_Where am I?_

_Darby!_

I turned around to see Chase, but he was not him human form. The long sliver haired man stood before me. His blood red eyes looking down upon me.

_Chase?_

_Yes Darby, it is me._

_Where are we, what's going on, I was just in class and-_

Chase waved his hand and shook his head, no light reflected in his sliver hair. Smoke or fog swirled around our bodies, bend around our forms. It collected around our legs, so much so I could not see anything below my waist.

_We are really no where at all, your body is still in your class. But your mind has moved beyond it into this realm. This it the space between minds, between all living things. I have formed this area, to create a place for my family and I to converse with one another. It goes hand in hand with the telepathy between our minds._ Chase's mouth did not move as his voice echoed around the empty space of this domain.

_What? How did I get here, what's happening to Drake?_

Chase gave a small smirk and lifted his unused hand out of the smoke and fog. In his grasp, the vampire held a horn, and pulling farther out, he reveled a skull. Huge and dark with age. The eyes sockets, that should have been empty, held pale grey eyes, eyes that were in pain.

_Drake?_

Chase chuckled to himself, _Sorry his body must look like its in great agony. But I'm doing this for you, he was being awfully mean to you, barbarically rude. I'm just punishing him a little._

_A little?! You're killing him!_

Chase frowned but dropped the horn, letting the skull fall into the fog.

_Drake?!_

The fog and smoke moved and stirred. A sharp pain in my shoulder made me look behind myself. A long dagger like claw hand imbedded itself into my arm. The claw was attached to foot bones that lead to arm bones. The skull of Drake pulled itself out of the smoke, his eyes darkening to their normal black.

_Drake?_

_Yes Darby?_ His dark eyes reflected my image and watching me.

_Are you okay?_

_Yeah I'm fine._ The skull's black eyes shifted from me to Chase.

The red eyes man stood silently only want seemed to be twenty feet away from Drake and me. He looked angry, but he covered it well with his light words. _Well you two seem better off now, I'll see you next period Darby._

The dark room vanished and I was back in my English class again. Drake's mouth was still firmly against mine. One of his hands was squeezing my shoulder where his claw hand been in that realm.

Blinking a pulling away Drake stared at me, his black eyes back to normal and reflecting my same image.

"Do you tow need a room?" Our English teacher stood over Drake and me, with a not too please look on her face.

"N-no, its alright Ms. Miklhin, it was an accident, I leaned to far forward while talking."

The teacher shook her head and returned to her desk. She looked back at us one last time before turning finally to her computer screen.

"Drake are you really alright?"

His eyes flashed to mine, then down to my hand that he was still gripping, and where his other was holding onto my shoulder. He moved away and grabbed his book bag. He didn't look back as he dashed out of the room. The teacher called after him, but Drake didn't come back.

I was scared to go to sixth period, to see Chase. When I walked into the class room, The vampire didn't look up as he normally did when I came into the room. Instead he flipped through the chemistry text book, looking bored out of his mind.

Seating myself next to him, I kept my eyes down, hoping he wasn't still as angry as he had been.

Through the whole class period, Chase neither spoke or looked at me. His thin body was tense next to mine, and as each moment passed I grew more fearful of what might be going through his mind.

Once class was over, I left the class room alone. The red eyed vampire left without even saying goodbye, he just slipped out of the class as the bell rang. I went straight to my car that was parked only a few blocks away from the school. Slumping into my seat, I couldn't help but sign in frustration. Had I really upset Chase by defending Drake? I put the keys in the ignition and looked behind me to back up. I was startled to see Kcie standing behind my car, she waved at me and came up to my window.

I rolled down the window and lighted an eyebrow at her. "What's up?"

"Hey I heard something happened between you and Drake. He flew home early, all embarrassed, what happened? He's never embarrassed."

I frowned and glanced at my feet. "I don't really know all of it, other than it was mainly between Chase and Drake, I was only evolved because Drake was being rude to me."

"Oh? Chase did say something about you being in the realm of telepathy that's between the family's minds. That must have been weird, since the only way to connect consciousness is to kiss the one that's not connected, Is that why Drake went home all embarrassed? He kissed you?"

My face reddened, and I nodded, I still felt the rough coldness of his mouth against my lips.

Kcie giggled her high pitched giggled and clapped her hands as if it was a good thin the Drake kissed me.

"What?" I asked, getting a bit irritated.

"Oh, nothing, anyway are you busy right now?"

"Um, not really, I was just going to head home and do homework."

"Oh cool want to see something cool?"

"Ok, sure I guess."

"Cool, lets go." Kcie opened my door and jumped, she was very excited about showing me what ever it was she wanted me to see.

I pulled the keys out and locked my car, then follwed Kcie as she skipped down the sidewalk.

Looking back at me Kcie smiled, "Ever ride a Dragon?"

"What?" I started at her confused about the question.

Kcie only smiled and continued her way down the side walk.

I clutched hard onto the horns that were in front of me, the rough hard bone rubbing my hands nearly raw. The cold wind howled in my ears as the blue, white dragon I road twirled and span through the air above the clouds.

"David!" I screamed. "Can't you slow down!"

"_Why should I, We're almost there._"

I thanked my god, when we came down to a landing amongst several tall pines. The ground was covered in leaves and needles, and so was a soft bedding when I fell off the dragon. My legs were wobbly, and barely supported me after that flight, I used a tree to balance myself as I pulled myself up.

David's long body curled and shrank into a much smaller version of himself. His dark blue eyes looked at me straight on as he was now my height.

"_There, you're down now, and don't you dare get sick. I'm not in a mood to explain that to Chase._"

"Wasn't that fun Darby?" Kcie giggled, she was still seated on David's back an she pulled on the end of his fluffy tall.

"_Kcie do you mind, I can feel that you know._"

The white eyed girl smiled and hopped off the dragon. "Isn't he cool looking?"

I nodded and leaned against the tree. I looked at the long creature in front of me, he was odd looking. He was long and thin, he had a main like a lion, made of white and blue of both fur and feathers. Horns like white naked tree braches were atop his head. He had four long talons on each foot, three in the front and one in the back, they gripped into the ground and cut it up easily. He had wings, very small useless looking things that, stuck out on his Asian look.

"_Would you stop staring at me! Kcie why are we here anyway?_"

"Oh right, well there's a few reasons." The hyper girl grabbed my hand and pulled me through the trees and under growth.

"Where are we going?" I asked, as I hopped over a bush following Kcie.

"Shhh, stay quiet," she whispered over her shoulder.

A soaring black berry bush stood before us, like a barrier. It was over ten feet tall and the berries were already eaten by the birds. The plant went through the forest, far to my left and right, I couldn't see a way past it.

"Here," Kcie pointed through a spot in the bush. In was big enough to see through.

I looked through the spot and gasped. Standing in the fading light of the day stood about seven lovely creatures. Unicorns, like Justice. They grazed and mingled with each other. They were beautiful, their craning necks and pure white coats.

"Can we get closer?"

Kcie shook her head. "No, they are very fearful creatures. We don't want them to see us, they'd either charge us or run away."

As I watched the animals I got a light hearted feeling. I felt blissful. They were so beautiful and innocent looking, I just wanted to watch them forever.

"Darby," Kcie placed her hand on my arm and pulled me away. "They are lovely, but you can't look at them for long, it will hurt yours eyes. Come on, I promised to show you what I looked like when I'm not in this human form."

"Ok…" The white eyed girl smiled and continued to pulled me away from the plant that separated us from the beautiful creatures.

We came back to David who was curled up and licking a would on his leg with his forked tongue. He looked up briefly at us but went right back to his wounded leg.

"Now remember when I said I wasn't a humanoid angel?"

"Uh, kinda."

"_Shield your eyes ,_" said the dragon near by.

"Wha-" Before I could finish my question, Kcie erupted with light, I covered my eyes and turned away from the shaft of white.

"_You can look now,_" Kcie said.

I turned back around and blinked through my fingers at the fluttering ribbon of light that floated in front of me.

"_What do you think? Do you like what I am?_" Her voice was softer, and airier.

"Is this what angels look like?"

The ribbon fluttered about, not making a bit of noise. "_No, not necessarily. They do come in the humanoid version, some look like smalls stars or suns._"

"So there are more angels?"

"_As far as I know and can remember, there are a lot more, especially in the heavens. But since I came to earth, I haven't seen any._"

"_You didn't come to earth, you fell on me!_"

David coiled himself up and flashed his forked tongue at the white ribbon.

"What?"

"_Oh, um, when I fell from heaven I had been watching David a Bri for a time, and I kind of fell on top of them_." The light coming from the ribbon faded for a moment.

"You just fell, on them?" I was skeptical of that but Kcie's ribbon form fluttered toward the ground and its light faded further.

"_It was an accident, I didn't mean to._"

David had his icy blue eyes locked on the fluttering ribbon. He looked very threatening with his sharp teeth and piercing gaze.

"Kcie, then if you really are an angel, then you know if there is a Christian God. You said your from heaven, so there must be a real God, right?"

The ribbon fluttered a bit higher then shank again, light a shrug. "_I don't know. I never saw or knew of one there. But if it makes you feel better, I believe there is a God, God._"

"_Kcie, we should get back now, before we get into trouble for staying out late._"

Light flashed again, and I covered my eyes. Kcie returned to her normal self and blushed at me. "Then lets go." She hopped back on to David. The dragon groaned, but began to grow again, becoming large and mighty once again.

"_You owe me for this trip Kcie._"

"Yeah I know, I'll talk to Bri for you, so you guys cane be happy again."

Cold air came out of David's nose as he snorted. "_Let's just go already._"


	10. Beloved Cousin

**1o. Beloved Cousin**

**The week went by both quickly and quietly, with out a word from chase or a slight of Drake or Bri. On Friday, I came to the conclusion that defending Drake had been a mistake. I had upset Chase and embarrassed Drake, by my actions. I knew Bri absence was more David's fault than my own, still all this anger between everyone and me made me feel bad, like something bad was on its way.**

**Saturday morning lasted forever as I waited for my dad to bring Sean home from the airport. My mom tried to keep me occupied by chatting and talking about her latest acting stuff, but it was rather boring hearing it from her, I've never much liked hearing about her job, I'd rather watch.**

**Finally when the front door opened, I bounded off the couch in our living room, and tackled my favorite cousin.**

"**Woah there girly, calm yourself." Sean's voice brought to mind many memories we shared together back home in Florida.**

"**I missed you Sean."**

"**Really? Not too busy with your new life to miss your old one?"**

**I giggled and looked at my cousin, he gave me his goofy smile that I knew best, the one he always used when he teased me.**

"**Alright you two, break it up." My dad pulled us apart and beamed at us both. "Here's an idea, how about we all go out for lunch? Have some family time?"**

"**So we're going out? I need to change." **

**Sean, my dad and I watched as my mother ran to the hallway to my parent's bedroom. We all laughed, she had always been this way, and always cared too much about her looks.**

"**We waited for awhile as my mother tried to find a flattering outfit for her "artistic" self. But at least it gave me more time to catch up with my cousin.**

"**So what's life like here in the wettest state?" Sean asked as we waited in the family room.**

"**Its actually pretty good, though when its not raining its cloudy and cold. But other than those issues its a lot of fun here, I've made several friends already."**

"**Friends huh? Heh, I remember when I was your only friend."**

**I rolled my eyes and pushed him playfully. Sean laughed and rustled the hair on my head.**

"**I was like five years old, you being older made you cool and fun."**

"**Yeah I was pretty cool then huh?"**

**I giggled, "So how is everyone back home? All our cousins?"**

"**All of them were fine when I left them, I asked a few to come up with me, but most are working now, and couldn't spare the time."**

"**Yeah? Annoying, you be sure to get after them for not coming to visit me."**

"**Yeah I will. So what are your friends like here? Any of them have webbed feet?"**

"**Nope, no one like that." I gave a fake laugh, I didn't know if anyone in the family did or did not have webbed feet, but I couldn't say that.**

"**You dad told me you had made quite a few friends since you got here, that's good. I'm glad your not lonely here without me." He hugged me to his sighed and chuckled. This was one of the many reasons I loved my cousin, he was always accepting and encouraging.**

"**Alright I'm ready, let's go." My mom popped out of her room. She now wore T-shirt, vest, skirt and boots.**

"**Aunt Emily , you never seise to amaze even me." Sean said.**

**My mom blushed slightly and took my dad's hand. "Well now that I'm decent, let's go." She pulled my dad along and headed out the front door.**

**Sean and I went after them. It had started to rain and we all laughed as we loaded into my dad's car.**

"**How do you guys live like this, really now?"**

"**I don't know, I still haven't gotten use to it." We laughed as my dad pulled out of the drive way.**

"**So where are we going to uncle John?"**

**My dad looked back at us in the rearview mirror. "Well there's this really **_**cool **_**pizza place in town, I though we could check it out."**

"**Dad what have I told you about saying the word 'cool'?"**

**Sean chuckled, "Aw, come on. Give your dad a break, he just wants to be hip and cool."**

**I sighed and leaned back in my seat. "You can't be hip and cool if you can break your hips."**

**My dad laughed along with Sean, I just rolled my eyes, then laughed with them. **

**The pizza place was fun with the four of us. Mom and ad, laughed, did their "cuitsie" married couple thing, dad tried to tell jokes, but most of the time Sean and I just stared at him like he was nuts. I learned that Sean had gotten into military school, he's been training with the army late. I thought that was cool, but I could never do it.**

"**So how long are you staying with us Sean?" I asked my cousin.**

"**Um, well I though maybe a week or two, is that alright Uncle John?"**

"**Yeah you can stay as long as you want, I may actually have stuff for your to do while you're here, and while Darby is busy with school."**

"**Stuff?" Sean looked at me then back at my dad. "Oh, ok, I'll help with anything you need, but my skills are limited in most stuff."**

"**Ah, that's fine, you must have some training in something, so you will be plenty of help."**

**I looked back and forth between my father and cousin, "What are you two talking about?'**

"**Oh, its nothing sweetie," my dad replied. "He can just help with some house repairs, the toilet in the guest room is poorly piped, stuff like that. He smiled at me, the same weird smile he had when I asked him about his book. A shiver ran down my back as he smiled, and my body seemed to tense in reaction.**

**The night went on uneventfully as my family and I returned hot and just sat in front of the TV. Some show my cousin like was on, it was some odd show with two brothers killing some sort of creature thing; it made me feel very uncomfortable. But I paid more attention too my cousin next to me. He had grown even more since I had last seen him a few weeks ago. He was well over a foot taller than me now, even while sitting down.**

**I remembered how people use to think we were twins while we were growing up. We did look a lot alike, same pale blue eyes and faded blond hair. While examining him, I noticed something different from the last time I had seen him. His left ear was pierced, he had never had **_**that **_**before. A small silver dragon with its wings spread dangled from a hoop in his earlobe. It was very small but the detail was amazing, like it could come to life at its own will.**

"**Something up Darb?" Sean asked, he had noticed me staring at his from across the couch.**

"**Oh, just your earring, it's lovely, where'd you get it?"**

**Sean smiled and shook his head. "Just a nice little place back home, maybe one day you would wont to get one?"**

"**Uh, no thanks." I covered my ears, I would never willingly stick a needle to them.**

**Sean laughed, "Don't worry, never mind about it ok?"**

**I eyed my cousin, but he just smiled and turned back to his program. I didn't ask anything further of the subject, worried that Sean may convince my father into making me pierce my ears. But Sean's one little dragon worried me a little, like the dragon was more than Sean was saying t simply was.**

**Sunday, me and my family went to church. There was a nice old Catholic church near downtown that my parents really liked. It was an old place, but still beautiful in that age. It had many stained glass windows, though the grey morning light didn't help much. My family, you could say, is very religious, though they still have different thoughts on some principles. But they still liked to go to church every Sunday, and of course I went with. However, this week with my cousin and all the things I had learned since knowing my "nonhuman" friends, I was uneasy and felt weird being in this building. When we left church, the bad feeling slowly lefts but I was worried that those feeling might soon return.**

**When I returned home I got a call from someone I didn't expect.**

"**Hey Darby, do you think we could, like, hang and talk?" Drake's voice was soft but still held its normal harshness.**

"**Um, I guess that would be ok." I looked over at my parents who were starting on lunch. "But you'd have to come here."**

"**Alright, I'll be there in a sec." Drake hung up before I could respond and I was left confused as the line went to that annoying beeping noise.**

**Sean leaned against the counter next to me. "Someone coming over here?" he asked.**

"**A friend of mine, something must be up, he just wanted to talk, but I don't see why we couldn't do that on the phone."**

"**Huh, sounds odd, still I thought today was just between you and me?"**

**I felt guilty as I looked up at my cousin. "I'll just give him a few minuets, then the rest of the day is yours."**

**Sean nodded, but he was pouting, though he was teasing. He walked over to the kitchen table and slouched into a seat.**

**Before I could try to console him, the door bell rang.**

**Outside Drake stood ridged and tense, and as he came inside his eyes darted back and forth.**

"**What's up Drake, are you alright?"**

"**Yeah," he said slowly. "Do you have a place we can talk privately? Where are your parents?"**

"**My parents are in the kitchen, making lunch. My cousin is in there to."**

**As if on cue, Sean walked out of the kitchen and stood at the top of the stairs over the landing. His face was emotionless, but he appeared to force a smile as he looked at my friend.**

"**You must be one of Darb's friends, nice to meet you."**

**Drake gave a smirk then turned back to me, but only briefly. He head shot back at Sean, and although he had a grin on his face, he tensed further. The two of them stared at one another for what seemed like hours, both seeming to be hating the other, but they forced smiles on their faces.**

"**Um, Drake, you wanted to talk?"**

"**Yeah," he replied without taking his eyes off my cousin.**

"**Then come on." I grabbed Drake's shirt sleeve and pulled him along down the stairs to my bedroom. His tension didn't decrease at all as we left my cousin upstairs, and not even as I closed the door behind the two of us.**

**I turned to look at Drake, but his eyes were suck on the door behind me.**

"**Drake?"**

**The black eyed boy glanced down at me then back to the door, then back again to me. "Do you know what the earring your cousin is wearing, is made of?"**

"**What it's made of? Looks like silver, maybe sterling silver, how should I know?"**

**Drake's eyes flashed back to the door, but he relaxed a bit and sat on the end of my bed. He peered up at me again, through his red hair.**

"**What going on Drake? And why on earth do you care about my cousin's earring?"**

**The boy's black eyes narrowed as he stared at me. "I came here for a certain reason, but I don't know it its safe or not right now."**

"**Not safe, my house is as safe as any place around here."**

"**I'm not too sure about that **_**Darb**_**," he said in a mocking tone.**

**I was confused, what did he mean and what would make my house "unsafe"?**

**Drake looked around my room, his dark eyes looking at everything individually. He stood, walking over to my desk, Drake picked up the bizarre book my dad had given me, then instantly dropped it.**

"**Ouch," he yelped as he shook his hand.**

"**What? What happened?"**

"**Nothing, it was nothing." Drake's eyes seemed to darken further as he stared at the book on my desk. "I think I should go, Chase may need me right now."**

"**Wait, what? I thought you needed to talk to me about something?" I grabbed on to his shoulder and looked up at his dark face.**

**He shrugged me off and turned away. "Maybe later," he said as he walked toward my bedroom door.**

"**Drake wait."**

"**What?" He twisted back to me, his eyes pitch and upset, and his mouth set in a cold frown.**

**My chest pounded like the first time I had heard him speak, and my voice came out in only a whisper. "What's wrong?"**

**For a moment his face looked sad, but soon enough the dark eyes boy's face hardened. He wretched open the door and stepped out.**

"**Drake!" I called after him but he was already up the stairs and out the door.**

**I ran up to the landing and stared off into the morning fog, he was gone.**

**Sean whistled from where he stood at the top of the stairs, he looked as if he hadn't moved since I took Drake down into my room.**

"**What did you do cousin? Did you scare him off with some girly crud or something?"**

**I glared up at my cousin and he put his hands up in defense. "I didn't do anything, he's just a jerk."**

"**Whoa girly, calm down, he your boyfriend or something?"**

**The heat in my face rose and burned, and I knew Sean could seen the blush. "N-no he's not, he's just a friend how is very rude and spiteful." I covered my face dace with my hands, trying to hide from my cousin. Two strong arms wrapped around me and pulled me toward his chest.**

"**There, there, Darb, its fine, most teenage boys are nothing but jerks anyway,"**

"**But you're not though," I mumbled into his shirt.**

"**I could feel the smile Sean had on his face as he tightened his arms around me. "Yeah, well, I'm your cousin and I love you, so I must be nice to you."**

**I giggled and looked up at Sean, to see his smile. This was another reason why I love my cousin, he was there for me, and he had a smile, always just for me. **

**It was a sunny morning, for once, but it was still cold and damp. Sean wished me a good day at school and hugged me before I left. I kissed his cheek goodbye as well, my cousin blushed, but kept his smile for me. I was in a great mood, last night with my cousin. We had hung out at the mall, had seen a movie and eaten dinner together. It was fun getting to be with my best friend again. I never found it too be weird that my cousin was my best friend, he was a good guy and a lot of fun to be around.**

**When I walked into the band room that morning, the trio of my friends were there. Bri and David seemed to have made up, and were happily in each other's arms again. They all smiled at me when I came into the room, even David did, which I found very unnerving. Kcie skipped over to me and giggled as she came to stand next to me.**

"**So how was your weekend? Your cousin came here right? Did you have fun with him?"**

**I nodded and smiled to Kcie's innocent questions and walked back with her to the other two.**

**Bri's wounds were almost completely gone now, just light silver and greenish lines ran across her pale skin. David looked batter to, he didn't have his crutches any where near him, so he must have healed up enough not to need them**

"**Hey Darby, what's up?" Bri pulled herself from Davidand stood smiling down at me, her face bright, but her smile sly. "I heard Drake came by your place how'd that go?"**


End file.
